Securing water as a resource for society: an ecosystem services perspective

Freshwater ecosystems are crucially important providers of ecosystem services as they provide clean water for multiple uses including water for drinking, irrigation or recreation. This study presents a spatially explicit assessment of the benefits of water services at the scale of Europe. We mapped simple indicators for water provision, water regulation by soils, and water purification by river networks. Both the capacity to provide services as well as the actual flow of services were quantified in biophysical terms. Subsequently the monetary value of water purification was assessed for northern Mediterranean river basins using avoided treatment costs. This type of assessment is considered to be a valuable communication tool to integrate scientific disciplines and to facilitate the collaboration between experts, policy makers and citizens in the field of water management. Moreover, it is argued that this type of assessment is a useful and feasible alternative for managing water resources in developing countries.