Value : counting ecosystems as an economic part of water infrastructure

This tool book reflects the growing awareness that ecosystems are important to water management. It aims to make the application of economic valuation a standard procedure in water and development decisions. The important role ecosystems play in the demand and supply side of water is increasingly recognized: ecosystems use water, regulate water supply, and provide a range of products and services on which people depend. Economic valuation of ecosystem services is an important tool for effective and efficient water management as it offers a way to make the roles of healthy ecosystems visible and to factor these into decision-making. It shows what may be lost due to management interventions, helps identify compensation measures. It may lead to investments in conservation measures and realization of sustainability of new infrastructure. Economic valuation may find that some investments in ecosystems lead to long-term financial or economic gain. In those cases, investments in nature deliver tangible and sustainable profits.