UNEP Report Released: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Water and Wetlands

This month, the United Nations Environment Programme released a report titled, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Water and Wetlands (2013). The 84-page document available here,

presents insights on both critical water-related ecosystem services and also on the wider ecosystem services from wetlands. The objective is encourage additional policy momentum, business commitment, and investment in the conservation, restoration, and wise use of wetlands. The report seeks to show how recognising, demonstrating, and capturing the values of ecosystem services related to water and wetlands can lead to better informed, more efficient, and fairer decision making. Appreciating the values of wetlands to both society and the economy can help inform and facilitate political commitment to policy solutions.