Rapid Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Services (RAWES): An example from Colombo, Sri Lanka

Wetlands make essential positive contributions to multiple dimensions of human wellbeing. However, recognition of these benefits is often lacking in decision-making, compromising the wellbeing of both the ecosystem and is many linked human beneficiaries. Wetland site managers, decision-makers and stakeholders all need to better understand the benefits provided by wetlands. Despite a plethora of available assessment techniques, very few approaches are genuinely rapid, applicable across different wetland types or consider the realities of time and money resource constraints. The Rapid Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Services (RAWES) approach is presented as a method that meets these needs, illustrated through its practical application in over 60 different wetland sites supporting development of a Wetland Strategy for the Metro Colombo Region, Sri Lanka. The approach is based on the trained, local assessors using a variety of field indicators in order to assess the positive or negative contribution over 30 wetland ecosystem services provide at local, regional or global scales. Outputs are simplified, signalling to decision-makers the diversity of interlinked ecosystem service outcomes consequent from management policies and actions.