Operationalising SEEA-EA for water-related ecosystem services assessment

In the face of growing environmental and economic pressures, accurately accounting for ecosystem services and natural capital is essential for sustainable decision-making. This study provides a systematic review of how ecosystem services have been integrated into economic models through the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) framework. Focusing on water-related services such as provisioning, purification, and flood control, the review examines empirical applications and methodological advances that bring nature into the economy. Based on 19 peer-reviewed studies selected through a PRISMA-guided protocol, the analysis identifies persistent asymmetries between biophysical and monetary approaches. While SEEA-EA has reached a stage of applied maturity, challenges remain in fully coupling ecological indicators with economic valuation. Two strategic priorities are highlighted: improving monitoring integration by aligning environmental indicators with economic accounts and addressing systemic complexity by embedding ecological metrics into macroeconomic and risk-assessment models. Overall, the review underscores the importance of systematically including ecosystem services in national and regional accounting systems to foster resilience and sustainability.