Water Security (supply & storage)

SEEA EA

Name Used: Water supply

Service Category: Provisioning

Definition: Water supply services reflect the combined ecosystem contributions of water flow regulation, water purification, and other ecosystem services to the supply of water of appropriate quality to users for various uses including household consumption. This is a final ecosystem service.

See Valuation Methods Appendix for Economic Value, Valuation Methods, and Metrics.

Name Used: Water flow regulation services

Service Category: Regulating

Definition: by sub-category

See Valuation Methods Appendix for Economic Value, Valuation Methods, and Metrics.

Name Used: Baseline Flow Maintenance Services

Definition: Water regulation services are the ecosystem contributions to the regulation of river flows and groundwater and lake water tables. They are derived from the ability of ecosystems to absorb and store water, and gradually release water during dry seasons or periods through evapotranspiration and hence secure a regular flow of water. This may be recorded as a final or intermediate ecosystem service.

Name Used: Peak Flow Mitigation Services

Definition: Water regulation services are the ecosystem contributions to the regulation of river flows and groundwater and lake water tables. They are derived from the ability of ecosystems to absorb and store water, and hence mitigate the effects of flood and other extreme water-related events. Peak flow mitigation services will be supplied together with river flood mitigation services in providing the benefit of flood protection. This is a final ecosystem service.

CICES

Name Used: Surface Water Used for Nutrition, Materials or Energy

Service Category: Provisioning

Definition: Surface Water Used for Nutrition, Materials, or Energy encompasses the various applications of surface water resources, including freshwater and coastal or marine waters. When used for drinking, the water is quantified by its amount, type, and source. For material uses that don't include drinking, metrics involve the amount and source of the water. In the context of energy, freshwater surface water and coastal or marine water are both accounted for, measured by their amount, type, and source. This highlights the essential role of surface water in meeting diverse human needs, from sustenance and industrial applications to energy generation.

Economic Value Calculated: No

Valuation Methods: n/a

Metrics: included in definition

Name Used: Ground water used for Nutrition, Materials or Energy

Service Category: Provisioning

Definition: Ground Water Used for Nutrition, Materials, or Energy refers to the utilization of subterranean water reserves for various applications. This includes ground water used for drinking, quantified by the amount, type, and source; ground water used for material purposes other than drinking, measured by the amount and source; and ground water utilized as an energy source, also quantified by the amount and source. These categories reflect the versatile roles that ground water plays in meeting diverse human needs, from hydration and material production to energy generation.

Economic Value Calculated: No

Valuation Methods: n/a

Metrics: included in definition

Name Used: Regulation of Baseline Flows & Extreme Events

Service Category: Regulation and Maintenance

Definition: Regulation of Baseline Flows and Extreme Events refers to the ecosystem's role in controlling various environmental dynamics and reducing associated risks. This encompasses control of erosion rates, buffering and attenuation of mass movement, hydrological cycle and water flow regulation, as well as storm and fire protection—all of which are measured by metrics like risk reduction and the area protected. Additionally, the regulation extends to the management of mass, liquid, and gaseous flows, quantified by their respective types and amounts. Together, these functions contribute to the stability and resilience of ecosystems against both regular and extreme environmental events.

Economic Value Calculated: No

Valuation Methods: n/a

Metrics: included in definition

ESVD 2020

Name Used: Water; Regulation of water flows

Service Category: Provisioning; Regulating

Definition: Water as categorized by TEEB in ESVD include Drinking water, industrial water, and irrigation water (unnatural), and ‘other’ water. Regulation of water flows include drainage, River discharge, Natural irrigation, Water regulation (unspecified).

Economic Value Calculated: Yes

Valuation Methods: The ESVD 2020 report offers a total of 4,042 value estimates, with 96 specific to water and 64 to regulation of water flows. See the Valuation Methods Appendix.

Metrics: $/ha/yr; ESVD is working on other qualitative and quantitative metrics.

FEMA ESV 2022

Name Used: Water Supply; Water Storage

Service Category: Provisioning

Definition: Regulating the rate of water flow through an environment and ensuring adequate water availability for all water users; Providing long-term reserves of usable water via storage - in lakes, ponds, aquifers, and soil moisture

Economic Value Calculated: Yes; No

Valuation Methods: Avoided Cost, Meta-Analysis, Replacement Cost, Market Value

Metrics:

Forest: Water Supply was calculated as a function of mean annual precipitation (1981–2010), mean annual discharge, reported water runoff and evapotranspiration, all spatially explicit and derived using geographic information system and other spatial interpolation models. The value of water supply was based on an average cost of alternative water sources, including groundwater extraction, desalinization and surface water collection and treatment.

Inland Wetlands: Water Supply utilized function transfer—a type of benefit transfer method—to construct a United States–specific value from two meta-analyses on the economic value of wetlands in Value ($/ac/yr)

Riparian Water Supply: Zavaleta (2000) used multiple avoided cost calculations to arrive at an average value for the value of water supply provided by riparian areas.253 Utility market data was then used to monetize the amount of water stored in riparian areas, which, once released, would flow to a downstream dam where utility pumping infrastructure was located. Roberts and Leitch (1997) used the replacement cost and avoided cost methods to value the amount of water stored in wetland and lakeside riparian vegetation.254 The method incorporated the avoided costs of alternative water supply infrastructure, such as dams.

IPBES NCP

Name Used: Regulation of freshwater quantity, location and timing

Service Category: Regulating NCP (Regulation Of Environmental Processes)

Definition: Regulation, by ecosystems, of the quantity, location and timing of the flow of surface and groundwater used for drinking, irrigation, transport, hydropower, and as the support of non-material contributions. Regulation of flow to water-dependent natural habitats that in turn positively or negatively affect people downstream, including via flooding; wetlands including ponds, rivers, lakes, swamps. Modification of groundwater levels, which can ameliorate dryland salinization in unirrigated landscapes.

Economic Value Calculated: No

Valuation Methods: n/a

Metrics: Ecosystem impact on air-surface-ground water partitioning

ENCORE

Name Used: Ground water

Service Category: Regulation & Maintenance

Definition: Water stored underground in aquifers made of permeable rocks, soil, and sand. Originates from rainfall, snow melts, and water flow from natural freshwater resources.

Economic Value Calculated: No

Valuation Methods:

Metrics: Clean water

Name Used: Surface water

Service Category: Provisioning

Definition: Surface water is provided through freshwater resources from collected precipitation and water flow from natural sources.

Economic Value Calculated: No

Valuation Methods: n/a

Metrics: Clean water

Name Used: Water flow maintenance

Service Category: Regulation & Maintenance

Definition: The hydrological cycle, also called water cycle or hydrologic cycle, is the system that enables circulation of water through the Earth’s atmosphere, land, and oceans. The hydrological cycle is responsible for the recharge of groundwater sources (i.e. aquifers) and the maintenance of surface water flows.

Economic Value Calculated: No

Valuation Methods: n/a

Metrics: Clean water

TNFD Environmental Assets & Ecosystem Services

Uses SEEA EA

InVEST

Name Used: Reservoir Hydropower Production (Water Yield)

Service Category: Renewable Energy/Water Management

Definition: The InVEST Reservoir Hydropower Production model estimates the annual average quantity of water produced by a watershed and its economic value for reservoir hydropower production. It calculates the relative contribution of each land parcel to annual average water yield and hydropower production, valuing this in terms of energy production and calculating the net present value over the reservoir's lifetime.

Economic Value Calculated: Yes

Valuation Methods: Net Present Value of hydropower production over the life of the reservoir

Metrics: Annual average water yield, energy production, net present value of hydropower production. Spatially-explicit outputs of relative water yields help identify areas contributing the most to hydropower value. The model also considers changes in landscape that affect water yield and subsequently hydropower production capacity.

Name Used: Urban Stormwater Retention

Service Category: Ecosystem Services, Urban Water Management

Definition: Provides information on two ecosystem services related to urban stormwater management: runoff retention and groundwater recharge. It calculates the volume of stormwater retained annually and the associated water quality benefits.

Economic Value Calculated: Yes

Valuation Methods: Replacement cost of stormwater infrastructure

Metrics: Annual stormwater retention volume, associated water quality benefits (i.e., avoided transport of nutrients or pollutants), potential groundwater recharge estimates, and the volume and mass of pollutants or nutrients in exported stormwater.

Name Used: Seasonal Water Yield

Service Category: Ecosystem Services, Watershed Management

Definition: Estimates the amount of water produced by a watershed over the course of a year, providing primary outputs of quickflow, local recharge, and baseflow.

Economic Value Calculated: No (Not specified in the provided content)

Valuation Methods: N/A

Metrics: Quickflow, local recharge, baseflow.

Swiss Re BES Index

Name Used: Water Security

Service Category: Provisioning Service

Definition: The role of terrestrial ecosystems in regulating water quantity.

Economic Value Calculated: No

Valuation Methods: n/a

Metrics: Water Availability % based on Baseline Water Stress of WRI. Ratio of water withdrawals to available renewable surface and groundwater.