Ecosystem service valuation method through grey water footprint in partially-monitored subtropical watersheds

Author(s)

Taffarello, D. ^{[1, 2]} ; Bittar, M. S. ^{[1, 3]} ; Sass, K. S. ^[4] ; Calijuri, M. C. ^[1] ; Cunha, D. G. F. ^[1] ; Mendiondo, E. M. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos Sch Engn, BR-13566590 Sao Carlos - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Environm Sci, BR-13565905 Sao Carlos - Brazil

^[3] Karlsruhe Univ Appl Sci, Karlsruhe - Germany

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Econ, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Science of The Total Environment; v. 738, OCT 10 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The valuation of ecosystemservices of pollution regulation in basins with partial monitoring does not have only one consolidated methodology which can be applied in all countries, biomes and across spatio-temporal scales. While different metrics can incorporate elements of uncertainty for decisionmakers, changes in land use, climate and sectoral demands in basins increase the need for the efficiency and complexity of valuation methods. Here, based on adapting a pre-existing method, we present a new ecosystem service valuation applied to river basins under different characteristics in the biomes of the Atlantic Forest and Brazilian savannah. Our assumptions of ecosystem service valuation concern an analogy based on willingness-to-pay for not marketable services, but adapted by data fromthe river basins' ecohydrologicalmonitoring. First, themethod depicts river ecosystem valuation with probabilistic criteria of both thewater yield, as supply, and the grey Water Footprint (greyWF), as demand. Second, we introduced the comparison betweenwater supply and demand carried out on the continuous flow regime and monitored loads in rivers with different land uses, sizes and biomes. Third, this new ecosystem service valuation method enabled us to quickly visualize the possible stages of sustainability concerning the Brazilian legal framework among different basins. The methodology was applied in 12 Brazilian river basins, with drainage areas between 17 and 26,500 km(2), and changes in land use with variable percentages of urban (62- 92%), forest (51-84%) and agriculture (51-89%) areas. The most polluted basins, with greyWF values far above those allowed, have the most significant, almost asymptotic valuation curves. Results range from a minimum reference value of 61 US\$/ha/year for conservation, adapted from the Brazilian Water Producer, to US\$ 330 for restoring high polluted basins. The results show the viability of this method and discuss further opportunities for water security, especially for climate change and non-stationary sectorial demands. (c) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/22195-1 - New method of valuation of hydrological services using water supply and demand permanence curves under climate change
• Grantee: Marina de Souza Bittar
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 14/50848-9 - INCT 2014: INCT for Climate Change
• Grantee: Jose Antonio Marengo Orsini
• Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/21940-2 - A new generation of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS): decentralized and recycling alternatives for the security of water-energy-food nexus
• Grantee: Eduardo Mario Mendiondo
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants