Ecosystem services, water security and IWRM

(Perspectives paper proposal )

Stockholm, August 2014

Nicole Bernex, GWP TEC

Introduction

More than 2 billion people live in countries with absolutewater scarcity. The number is expected to rise to 4.6 billionby 2080. Feeding a planet of 9 billion by 2050 will requireapproximately 50 per cent more water by 2050.

Water security is at the core of sustainabledevelopment and sustainable ecosystems.

According the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, in1997, the world ecosystem value reached 33 000 billons ofUS$ while the world gross domestic product was 18 000billons of US$. Healthy ecosystems may contribute widelyto human well-being.

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Ecosystem services

What are they? Functions and values; Interrelation between ecosystem services and water security

3. Degradation processes and threats

Climate change and anthropic activities’ impact on key ecosystem services

4. Nexus between ecosystem services, water security and IWRM

5. Complexity of the challenges

Facing glocal changes; Integrated challenges; Challenges of interphase science/policy, science/society.

6. Experiences and opportunities

Actual frameworks (MEA,…); Experiences (PES, governance); Opportunities (Emerging urban centers and new rurality in developing countries; “Security through diversity”; Green economy; Post-2015 SDGs; Global partnerships (IPBES, ESP, TEEB, SGA)

7. Conclusion

8. Bibliography

The paper will address the state of the art on ecosystem services, their functions, values and their relation with water security and development

Ecosystem service cascade

Functions and values

Ecosystem services

contribute to economic

welfare in two ways:

• through contributions

to the generation of

income and wellbeing,

• through the prevention

of damages that inflict

costs on society.

Framework for integrated assessment and valuation of ecosystem goods and services

One of the most vital and immediate services of

ecosystems, particularly of forests, rivers and

wetlands, is the provisioning and regulation

of water resources.

Interrelation between ecosystem services and water security

Water plays a key role in the delivery of most of the

ecosystem services and water resources management will

directly affect ecosystem health, while ecosystem health

underpins critical services for clean, stable water

resources/interdependence…

Paper will deal with the degradation processes andthreats, the impact of climate change and anthropicactivities on key ecosystem services.

The processes… Differences in ecosystem services between

natural ecosystem and intensive cropland

It is essential to assess environmental damage to highlight the value of changes in the services provided by the natural environment. Our natural capital disappears in a so fast rhythm that it is incompatible with the processes of sustainable development started by the societies.

Vulnerability componentsEcosystem services

may contribute to

reduce in many ways

the socio-ecologic

system vulnerability.

Vulnerability (or

resilience) depends

of exposition,

sensibility and

adaptive ability or

capacity

Climate change associated with other global changes (as economic globalization) influence the vulnerability of socio-ecologic systems.

Societies may have special responses (practices or policies) to face this vulnerability. These responses are essentially based on ecosystems (“ecosystem‐‐‐‐based mitigation” and “ecosystem‐‐‐‐based adaptation”).

It will underline the nexus between ecosystem services, water security and IWRM.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has

identified IWRM as an important adaptation strategy, which

becomes a critical management priority for transboundary

watersheds in light of climate change:

“It can be expected that the paradigm of Integrated Water

Resources Management will be increasingly followed around the

world, which will move,… into the center of policy-making. This

[IWRM] is likely to decrease the vulnerability of freshwater

systems to climate change” (Kundzewicz 2007).

Ecosystem-based management in IWRM Processes

Source: Ecosystem

Approaches in Integrated

Water Resources

Management (IWRM). A

Review of Transboundary

River Basins by Dimple Roy,

Jane Barr, and Henry David

Venema. International

Institute for Sustainable

Development (IISD). In

Partnership with the UNEP-

DHI Centre for Water and

Environment. August 2011.

Sustainable water security and its relation to IWRM and the conservation of ecosystem services

Source: Grau, Gabriela. GWP Programmatic Approach on Water security and Ecosystems. July 2014.

At that point, challenges will be defined facing “glocal” changes, according to a systemic approach

Facing complexes

challenges, it is

important to consider a

multi-scale dimension

study (national,

watershed and local)

Facing glocal changes (global / local)

Complexes challenges:

Ecological (healthy ecosystems)

Social (equity)

Financial challenges (sustainability)

Technological challenges,

Governance challenges,

Institutional challenges,

Political challenges,

Challenges of information and communication.

Challenges of knowledge generation….

Experiences and opportunities

Finally, it will highlight experiences and opportunities such as:

• Emerging urban centres and new rurality in developing countries,

• “Security through diversity”,

• Green economy, payment for ecosystem services

• Post-2015 SDGs, and

• Global Partnerships (International Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services - IPBES, Ecosystem Services Partnership - ESP, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity - TEEB, the Sub-Global Assessment Network –SGA, etc..).

Objective

The GWP network clearly needs to contribute to an improved

understanding of the ecosystems dimension as part of an

integrated approach to water management. This document will

complement other initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between

science and policy.

Audience

A very large one, from base organisations to policy makers,

especially water and development professionals.

Key Messages

• Relevance of ecosystem services conservation for water security.

• IWRM is related to the generation of a wide range of securities (physical security, climatic security, energetic security, health security, economic security, food security, water security and social security).

• Ecosystem services and water security are interdependent.

• Ecosystem services (especially water ecosystem services) may contribute to reduce in many ways the vulnerability of socio-ecologic systems.

• Management of Ecosystems is an intrinsic element of IWRM processes.

• The IWRM approach is at the core of ecosystem services conservation and water security.

Expected Impact

To strengthen a more integrated vision to value the IWRM

approach as the centre of policy-making to assure the

achievement of ecosystem conservation, water security

and sustainable development goals.

Distribution

Key people who should receive a copy of this publication: decision makers, water basin professional and professional of development at a local, national and regional level.

Expected launch date

An advanced draft will be submitted to TEC members in February 2015, and the final document would be launched on 5th June (World Environment Day 2015).

Thank You.nbernex@pucp.edu.pe