Countries must take urgent steps to value their natural capital – such as forests, peatlands and coastal areas – as part of their economic development, the World Bank has urged. Placing a monetary value on natural ecosystems is a key step on the road to "green" economic growth, according to the World Bank, which published a report on green growth on Wednesday at a conference in Seoul, Korea.
By making such estimates, countries can develop policies that ensure the pursuit of economic growth does not occur at the expense of future growth potential, by destroying natural assets such as water sources or polluting air, rivers and soil. (...)

The article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/09/world-bank-urgent-natural-capital?intcmp=122

From World Bank website:

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSDNET/0,,contentMDK:23184559~pagePK:64885161~piPK:64884432~theSitePK:5929282,00.html

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSDNET/0,,contentMDK:23168586~pagePK:64885161~piPK:64884432~theSitePK:5929282,00.html