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3.1.1.      What are freshwater ecosystem services?

Ecosystems provide valuable goods and services that have a significant, yet often undervalued, contribution towards continued human wellbeing, development, economic security that in many instances cannot be replaced. Attempts at valuing these services at a global level (Costanza et al. 1997) have provided economic valuations in excess of global gross national product. The principal freshwater provisioning, regulating and cultural services on which human development relies are listed below in Table 3.1. Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems require adequate freshwater resources and flows to maintain the physiochemical processes and functions, species, and communities (Acreman and Ferguson 2010). Human regulation of the water environment and water resource development has affected the ability of many freshwater systems functioning and this pervasive alteration is contributing to significant biodiversity loss and degradation of the goods and services that these systems provide (N. LeRoy Poff et al. 2007). Protection and restoration of these irreplaceable ecosystems is increasingly being recognised as crucial in achieving sustainable development and often provide the most cost-effective options for securing food production and protection from natural hazards (UNEP, Nellemann, and Corcoran 2010).