This document proposes a paper on the relationships between ecosystem services, water security, and integrated water resources management (IWRM). It notes that over 2 billion people currently live in areas with absolute water scarcity, and this is projected to rise to 4.6 billion by 2080. The paper will address the state of ecosystem services and their importance for human well-being and development. It will also discuss the degradation of ecosystem services from climate change and human activities, and how this impacts water security. Finally, it will explore the nexus between ecosystem services, water security, and IWRM, and the challenges and opportunities around management.

1. Ecosystem services, water security
and IWRM
(Perspectives paper proposal )
Stockholm, August 2014
Nicole Bernex, GWP TEC

2. Introduction
More than 2 billion people live in countries with absolute
water scarcity. The number is expected to rise to 4.6 billion
by 2080. Feeding a planet of 9 billion by 2050 will require
approximately 50 per cent more water by 2050.
Water security is at the core of sustainable
development and sustainable ecosystems.
According the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, in
1997, the world ecosystem value reached 33 000 billons of
US$ while the world gross domestic product was 18 000
billons of US$. Healthy ecosystems may contribute widely
to human well-being.

3. Contents
1. Introduction
2. Ecosystem services
What are they? Functions and values; Interrelation between ecosystem
services and water security
3. Degradation processes and threats
Climate change and anthropic activities’ impact on key ecosystem services
4. Nexus between ecosystem services, water security and IWRM
5. Complexity of the challenges
Facing glocal changes; Integrated challenges; Challenges of interphase
science/policy, science/society.
6. Experiences and opportunities
Actual frameworks (MEA,…); Experiences (PES, governance);
Opportunities (Emerging urban centers and new rurality in developing
countries; “Security through diversity”; Green economy; Post-2015 SDGs;
Global partnerships (IPBES, ESP, TEEB, SGA)
7. Conclusion
8. Bibliography

4. The paper will address the state of the art on ecosystem
services, their functions, values and their relation with
water security and development
Ecosystem service cascade
Functions and values
Ecosystem services
contribute to economic
welfare in two ways:
• through contributions
to the generation of
income and wellbeing,
• through the prevention
of damages that inflict
costs on society.

5. Framework for integrated assessment and valuation of
ecosystem goods and services
One of the most vital and
immediate services of
ecosystems, particularly of
forests, rivers and
wetlands, is the
provisioning and regulation
of water resources.

6. Interrelation between ecosystem services and water
security
Water plays a key role in the delivery of most of the
ecosystem services and water resources management will
directly affect ecosystem health, while ecosystem health
underpins critical services for clean, stable water
resources/interdependence…

7. Paper will deal with the degradation processes and
threats, the impact of climate change and anthropic
activities on key ecosystem services.
The processes… Differences in ecosystem services between
natural ecosystem and intensive cropland
It is essential to assess environmental damage to highlight the value of
changes in the services provided by the natural environment. Our natural
capital disappears in a so fast rhythm that it is incompatible with the
processes of sustainable development started by the societies.

8. Vulnerability components
Ecosystem services
may contribute to
reduce in many ways
the socio-ecologic
system vulnerability.
Vulnerability (or
resilience) depends
of exposition,
sensibility and
adaptive ability or
capacity
Climate change associated with other global changes (as economic
globalization) influence the vulnerability of socio-ecologic systems.
Societies may have special responses (practices or policies) to face
this vulnerability. These responses are essentially based on
ecosystems (“ecosystem‐based mitigation” and “ecosystem‐based
adaptation”).

9. It will underline the nexus between ecosystem
services, water security and IWRM.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has
identified IWRM as an important adaptation strategy, which
becomes a critical management priority for transboundary
watersheds in light of climate change:
“It can be expected that the paradigm of Integrated Water
Resources Management will be increasingly followed around the
world, which will move,… into the center of policy-making. This
[IWRM] is likely to decrease the vulnerability of freshwater
systems to climate change” (Kundzewicz 2007).

10. Ecosystem-based management in IWRM Processes
Source: Ecosystem
Approaches in Integrated
Water Resources
Management (IWRM). A
Review of Transboundary
River Basins by Dimple Roy,
Jane Barr, and Henry David
Venema. International
Institute for Sustainable
Development (IISD). In
Partnership with the UNEP-DHI
Centre for Water and
Environment. August 2011.

11. Sustainable water security and its relation to IWRM and
the conservation of ecosystem services
Source: Grau, Gabriela. GWP Programmatic Approach on Water security and
Ecosystems. July 2014.

12. At that point, challenges will be defined facing “glocal”
changes, according to a systemic approach
Facing complexes
challenges, it is
important to consider a
multi-scale dimension
study (national,
watershed and local)

13. Facing glocal changes (global / local)

14. Complexes challenges:
Ecological (healthy ecosystems)
Social (equity)
Financial challenges (sustainability)
Technological challenges,
Governance challenges,
Institutional challenges,
Political challenges,
Challenges of information and communication.
Challenges of knowledge generation….

15. Experiences and opportunities
Finally, it will highlight experiences and opportunities
such as:
• Emerging urban centres and new rurality in developing
countries,
• “Security through diversity”,
• Green economy, payment for ecosystem services
• Post-2015 SDGs, and
• Global Partnerships (International Platform on Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services - IPBES, Ecosystem Services
Partnership - ESP, The Economics of Ecosystems and
Biodiversity - TEEB, the Sub-Global Assessment Network –
SGA, etc..).

16. Objective
The GWP network clearly needs to contribute to an improved
understanding of the ecosystems dimension as part of an
integrated approach to water management. This document will
complement other initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between
science and policy.
Audience
A very large one, from base organisations to policy makers,
especially water and development professionals.

17. Key Messages
• Relevance of ecosystem services conservation for water security.
• IWRM is related to the generation of a wide range of securities
(physical security, climatic security, energetic security, health
security, economic security, food security, water security and
social security).
• Ecosystem services and water security are interdependent.
• Ecosystem services (especially water ecosystem services) may
contribute to reduce in many ways the vulnerability of socio-ecologic
systems.
• Management of Ecosystems is an intrinsic element of IWRM
processes.
• The IWRM approach is at the core of ecosystem services
conservation and water security.

18. Expected Impact
To strengthen a more integrated vision to value the IWRM
approach as the centre of policy-making to assure the
achievement of ecosystem conservation, water security
and sustainable development goals.

19. Distribution
Key people who should receive a copy of this publication:
decision makers, water basin professional and professional
of development at a local, national and regional level.
Expected launch date
An advanced draft will be submitted to TEC members in
February 2015, and the final document would be launched
on 5th June (World Environment Day 2015).
Thank You.
nbernex@pucp.edu.pe