Ecosystem Services and Valuation

Biodiversity is the foundation of ecosystem services to which human well-being is directly linked. Ecosystem functions include provisioning, supporting, cultural and regulating services. Extinction of species, changes in biotic interactions between species and introduction of alien species can all interrupt ecosystem processes, and thus have an effect on ecosystem services. Changes in ecosystem services have an impact on human well-being, because we depend on many ecosystem services often without even realising, such as provision of clean water, pollination of crops, regulation of pests, and food production on good quality soil.

UNEP-WCMC is one of the lead organisations examining the importance of ecosystem services to human well-being, the role of biodiversity in underpinning ecosystem services, and exploring ways to bring this more clearly to the attention of policy makers. Below are some key initiatives that the Ecosystem Assessment Programme is supporting and implementing.

Current projects

• TEEB/Stern-like review
• ESPA
• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment follow-up
• MA for England Scoping Study
• 2010 BIP Health & Well-being
• Developing and mainstreaming ecosystem service indicators

Previous projects of note

• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Publications