Integrating Ecosystem Services Into Water Resource Management: An Indicator-Based Approach.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management
• Ecosystem Services

Background:

• Natural ecosystems are vital for water cycles and human services like water provision and flood protection.
• Integrating ecosystem services into water management necessitates their quantification and clear communication to decision-makers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an indicator framework for quantifying the supply and demand of water ecosystem services.
• To provide a diagnostic tool for water resource managers to evaluate tradeoffs and unmet service delivery objectives.

Main Methods:

• Developed a three-tiered indicator framework based on risk assessment, measuring unmet service delivery across scope, frequency, and amplitude.
• The Ecosystem Service Indicator is quantified on a 0-100 scale, representing service delivery levels.
• Applied the framework to diverse water ecosystem services using various data sources in China and Southeast Asia case studies.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the framework's applicability and flexibility across different services and data types.
• Evaluated the indicator's sensitivity to data variability and calculation methods using simulated data.
• The framework provides a robust and scalable starting point for evaluating water ecosystem services.

Conclusions:

• The proposed indicator framework is a simple, robust, and flexible tool for water resource managers.
• It facilitates the acknowledgment, quantification, and communication of water ecosystem services for better decision-making.
• The framework can accommodate evolving tools, models, and data for measuring the value of water ecosystem services.