Indicator System Ecosystem Services

The Ecosystem Services component of the FHI is composed by three major indicators: Provisioning, Regulation and Support, and Cultural. Each of these indicators is composed by two up to four sub-indicators as indicated below. Table below provides a summary of the indicators and sub-indicators comprising the Ecosystem Services component.

Provisioning measures the material outputs from freshwater ecosystems that are used for human benefit. This indicator is composed by two sub-indicators: Water Supply Reliability relative to Demand measuring the current ability of the basin to meet demand for various uses, at all locations, despite seasonal variability; and Biomass for Consumption measuring the availability of fisheries, wild food, fiber and other materials from freshwater systems for human consumption.

Regulation and Support measures the aspects of regulating, maintenance and support from freshwater ecosystems that provide benefits to people beyond provisioning (de Groot et al. 2002). This indicator is composed by four sub-indicators: Sediment Regulation measuring the degree to which drainage basins regulate erosion and control sediment dynamics (transportation and deposition) as well the nutrients that may be bound to transported particles; Water Regulation the ability of the freshwater ecosystem to deliver water with the required water-quality standards for the use of different sectors; Flood Regulation measuring the extent to which the condition and functioning of a river basin is damaged through exposure to floods; and Disease Regulation measuring the prevalence of water-associated diseases.

Cultural measures the cultural, aesthetic, spiritual and other socio-cultural values of a freshwater system that are important to people (Daniel et al. 2012). This indicator is composed by two sub-indicators: Conservation and Cultural/Heritage Sites measuring the degree to which freshwater ecosystems are being preserved for their cultural significance; and Recreation measuring the degree to which freshwater has societal value in the form of recreational and tourism opportunities.

Ecosystem Services indicators