Ecosystem services valuation in sustainable environmental management
Abstract
Ecosystems provide a wide range of services that are fundamental to human wellbeing, economic development, and environmental sustainability. These ecosystem services?ranging from provisioning services such as food and water to regulating services like climate regulation, cultural services including recreation, and supporting services such as nutrient cycling?are often undervalued or overlooked in decision-making processes. The undervaluation of ecosystem services contributes to environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable resource exploitation. Ecosystem Services Valuation (ESV) has emerged as a critical tool for integrating ecological, social, and economic dimensions into sustainable environmental management. By quantifying and assigning economic, social, or intrinsic values to services provided by ecosystems, ESV enables policymakers, businesses, and communities to recognize trade-offs, internalize externalities, and design policies that align with sustainability goals. This article explores the principles and methods of ecosystem services valuation, its role in sustainable environmental management, challenges in implementation, and future directions. It emphasizes that effective valuation, when integrated into policy and planning, not only safeguards ecosystems but also ensures long-term ecological and socio-economic resilience.