Water ecosystem services and poverty reduction under climate change
Freshwater ecosystem services – the benefits obtained by people from rivers, swamps, floodplains and groundwater systems – are central to human well-being. But these ecosystems are being degraded, water problems are increasing, and the poor are being hit hardest. Climate change is likely to worsen these problems.
Freshwater ecosystem services – the benefits obtained by people from rivers, swamps, floodplains and groundwater systems – are central to human well-being. But these ecosystems are being degraded, water problems are increasing, and the poor are being hit hardest. Climate change is likely to worsen these problems.
Many promising solutions to water ecosystem problems exist. In many cases, these solutions appear to be dependent on governance – the range of issues associated with how decisions are made about water ecosystem services.
This scoping study will address where and how research can help provide solutions through the following approaches:
- consulting with international stakeholders, in person and through a web-based survey (details on this to appear here shortly)
- drawing out key information from literature, particularly to identify gaps in knowledge
- carrying out policy and practice analyses in developing countries