Presentation at The Future of Wetlands - 40 Years of Global Wetland ConservationInternational Conference,25 Oct 2011, Finlandia Hall, Helsinki, Finland

1. Water, ecosystem services and nature:
putting the ‘green’ into green economy
Marianne Kettunen
Senior policy analyst, Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) (London & Brussels)
Guest researcher at the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) (Helsinki)
The Future of Wetlands - 40 Years of Global Wetland Conservation
International Conference
25 Oct 2011 Finlandia Hall, Helsinki, Finland

2. Key messages
•
Value: nature (inc. wetlands) has socio-economic
importance, most of which not reflected by the current
economic systems.
•
Valuation: valuation can support more holistic decisionmaking and boost wetland conservation.
•
Future opportunities: wetlands can be a ‘green’ in green
economy.
© M. Kettunen

3. Context: the value of nature
© M. Kettunen

4. 2001- 05
xxxx
•
xxxxxxxxxxxx
© M.
Kettunen

5. 2001- 05
Biodiversity underpins ecosystem services:
direct and indirect benefits & resilience
© Guardian

6. 2001- 05
Wetlands & water related ecosystem service
© M.
Kettunen
Wetlands need water …
Wetland ecosystem
services:
water retention,
aquifer recharge
water regulation
water purification
Water (quantity & quality)
needs wetlands …
© M. Kettunen
© SYKE
Kuvapankki
©www.cleanwatertea © www.clevergreen.co.za
m.com

7. 2001- 05
2001- 05
Wetlands & other ecosystem services
Agriculture
Recreation / Bird watching
Fisheries
Aesthetics
Subsistence
Carbon storage
© photos: www.ramsar.org
© M.
Kettunen

8. TEEB initiative (2008-2010): assessing the
value of biodiversity & ecosystem services
•
Demonstrate biodiversity, ecosystems & their services
have multiple values – to economy, society, communities,
business & individuals
•
Highlight the benefits (vs. costs) of protecting nature &
natural capital
•
Show how to assess the value of bd and ES – and how it
can be used
•
Show how to integrate these values into everyday
decision-making

9. xxxx
•
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Not appreciated by
economy !

10. - Adopted from TEEB Policy-makers 2009 / 2011, based on a presentation by Ben ten Brink -

11. xxxx
•
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Rockström et al. 2009. Planetaring boundaries: Exploring the safe operating space for humanity. Ecology and Society 14(2).

12. Source: TEEB case by L. Brander & K. Schyut (2010) The economic value of world’s wetlands (benefit transfer) www.teebweb.org
© Photos EEA report

13. Solutions: how can valuation help?
© M. Kettunen

14. © M. Kettunen

15. TEEB approach
1. Recognising value: in addition to its intrinsic value,
nature supports all human wellbeing
2. Demonstrating value: in economic terms
(qualitative/ quantitative / monetary) to support decision
making
3. Capturing value: introduce mechanisms that
incorporate the values of ecosystems into decision
making
Source: TEEB final synthesis report 2010

16. Increasing system complexity
ecosystems, scales, no. of actors
Usefulness of economic valuation
Monetary valuations more
difficult / less robust
Monetary easier / more
robust
Commoditytype values
Value plurality
Ethical / cultural
convictions
(c) J. Forster (UFZ), redrawn from O‘Connor and Frame (2008) in TEEB Foundations (2010), Chapter 4 .

17. How can valuation help wetland conservation?
• Advocacy & awareness raising: examples of benefits lost / costs
related to the loss of wetlands
• Concrete support to decision-making: enabling all values of
wetlands are accounted for (eg public, non-market values) →
identifying trade-offs, making more sustainable decisions
• Wetlands as an investment (eg. restoration): seeing wetlands as
green infrastructure that support both biodiversity and ecosystem
services

18. Future: wetlands & the Green Economy
© M. Kettunen

19. The Ramsar convention: a pioneer in
conservation & sustainable use of wetlands
Mission: “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and
national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards
achieving sustainable development throughout the world”.
Wise use: “the maintenance of their ecological character, achieved
through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context
of sustainable development”.
→ A strong and relevant legacy to build on!

20. Green infrastructure: opportunities for wetlands
Cost savings: flood management (regional)
• Situation: The Napa River Basin (California) suffers
from frequent flooding.
• Assessment: Levees & channel modification to
prevent flooding were deemed unsustainable by the
citizens (eg with several negative impacts to water
quality)
• Outcome: A comprehensive flood control plan to
restore river’s original capacity to handle flood waters
was adopted. Significant mitigation of damages and
over US$ 1.6 billion savings in flood protection.
• Costs of managing green infra < Costs of damage
& manmade infra
- See TEEB for local & regional policy makers 2010 for references -
© Andre Kunzelmann / UFZ

21. Green infrastructure: opportunities for wetlands
Cost savings: flood management (local)
• Situation: Surface runoff from the city of Nummela
(Fin) has been increasing since the expansion of the
city, affecting the quality of surrounding water
bodies.
• Assessment: Management of surface runoff via
‘natural’ means (eg through wetland restoration)
more sustainable and cost effective than manmade
solutions. Such approach also brings co-benefits for
recreation.
• Outcome: Restoration costs for 1 ha of wetland
were 62 000 EUR total (inc. infra for recreation) vs.
costs of manmade infra 50 000 EUR / every 100
meters.
• Costs of restoring green infra < Costs of
manmade infra
- Hannele Ahponen & Outi Salminen for TEEB Nordic (upcoming) -
© Ympäristölehti 3/2010

22. Green infrastructure: opportunities for wetlands
Cost savings: drinking water management
• Situation: In the Andean region, upstream
ecosystems regulate water supply and purify water
for downstream users.
• Assessment: Maintaining ecosystems’ natural
capacity to maintain and purify water provides a
low-cost option for maintaining access to clean,
regular water supply.
• Outcome: ‘Water Funds’ was established to
compensate upstream land users for managing
forest and grasslands in sustainable manner.
• Costs of green infra < Costs of manmade infra
- See TEEB for local & regional policy makers 2010 for references -
©http://conservationvalue.blogspot
.com/2006_05_01_archive.htm

23. Green infrastructure: opportunities for wetlands
Cost savings: climate change mitigation
• Situation: drainage of 930,000 ha peatlands in
Germany for agriculture cause emissions of 20 Mio.
t of CO2-eq. per year. Total damage of these
emissions amounts to 1.4 billion EUR
• Assessment: peatland restoration considered as
low cost and biodiversity friendly mitigation option
• Outcome: Restoration of 30,000 ha peatlands
(10%) → emission savings of ~ 300,000 t CO2-eq.,
avoidance cost of 8 to 12 EUR / t CO2. In
combination with alternative land use options
(extensive grazing, reed production or alder forest)
costs decrease to 0 to 4 EUR / t CO2.
• Costs of restoring green infra < Costs of
manmade infra
©http://conservationvalue.blogspot
.com/2006_05_01_archive.htm
Restored peatland in Trebeltal 2007
Foto: D. Zak, http://www.fv-berlin.de
- Federal Environmental Agency 2007; MLUV MV 2009; Schäfer 2009. See TEEB for local & regional policy makers 2010 -

24. Green infrastructure: opportunities for wetlands
Protected areas: benefits for biodiversity & water management
•
1/3 of the world’s 100 largest cities draw a
large part of their drinking water from PAs.
•
PAs & forests purify water for NY city = US$ 6
billion (total) savings in water treatment costs
•
80% of Quito’s drinking water originate from
two PAs
•
Venezuela’s national PA system prevents
sedimentation that would reduce farm
earnings by around US$ 3.5 million/year.
• Costs of green infra < Costs of manmade
infra
- See TEEB for national & international / local & regional policy makers 2010 for references -

25. Green infrastructure: opportunities for wetlands
Business opportunities: payments for ecosystem services (PES)
• Situation: Vittel natural mineral water (FR)
depends on high quality water from Vosges
Mountains (no pre-treatment allowed by law).
• Assessment: Costs of managing upstream
ecosystems in a manner that guarantees
continued supply of clean water are lower than
the costs of moving the sourcing of water
elsewhere.
• Outcome: Farmers upstream are paid to adopt
best low-impact farming practises.
• Maintaining green infra → maintaining
business opportunities
©http://www.globalpackagegallery.com/main.p
©http://oc.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampal
hp/v/bev/bottled+water/?g2_page=2
a
- See TEEB for national & international policy makers 2010 for references -

26. Conclusions
© M. Kettunen

27. Conclusions: wetlands & green economy
Key conclusions
• A ‘truly green’ green economy rests on sustainably managing
natural capital, eg. wetlands.
• Ecosystem services provided by wetlands underpin / provide
opportunities for green economy.
• Investing in wetlands (green infrastructure) can lead to cost
savings, create business opportunities and - if appropriately
planned and implemented – provide win-wins for
biodiversity and socio-economic development.

28. Key messages to the Ramsar community:
• There is a need to identify / communicate / capture
the value(s) of wetland – to avoid future losses and
support restoration.
• Ramsar community is well placed to identify,
communicate and ‘market’ the best possible win-wins
for biodiversity & ecosystem services.

29. Starting now: TEEB for Water & Wetlands!
•
A joint effort between Ramsar, IUCN Water Programme and IEEP
to provide a targeted TEEB synthesis for water & wetlands.
•
Case studies, examples and cooperation with Nordic and Baltic
countries warmly welcomed!
•
For information & cooperation: please contact Marianne
Kettunen (mkettunen@ieep.eu) and Andrew Farmer
(afarmer@ieep.eu)

30. Thank you
Marianne Kettunen
Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)
mkettunen@ieep.eu
This presentation builds on the work carried out in the context of
TEEB for National & International / Local & Regional Policy-makers (2009 - 2010)
IEEP is an independent, not-for-profit institute dedicated to the
analysis, understanding and promotion of policies for
a sustainable environment in Europe.
See IEEP Manual of European Environmental Policy: http://www.europeanenvironmentalpolicy.eu/

31. Contribution to Governance solutions Understanding the value of nature
TEEB reports and TEEB Books
TEEB Interim Report
(May 2008)
TEEB for Business
(July 2010)
Climate Issues Update
(Sept. 2009)
TEEB for Local Policy
(Sept. 2010)
TEEB for Policy Makers
(Nov 2009)
TEEB Synthesis
(Oct. 2010)
TEEB Foundations
(Oct. 2010)
Book announcement:
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity in
National and International Policy Making now
available from Earthscan
Edited By Pushpam Kumar (Univ. of Liverpool)
'A landmark study on one of the most pressing problems
facing society, balancing economic growth and ecological
protection to achieve a sustainable future.‘
Simon Levin, Moffett Professor of Biology, Department of
Ecology and Evolution Behaviour, Princeton University, USA
Edited By Patrick ten Brink (Institute for European environmental Policy, IEEP)
TEEB Reports: http://www.teebweb.org/
Summaries (in range of languages) and chapters
'This work is a landmark. It shows not only that we have been extraordinarily wasteful, destructive and
inefficient in our treatment of the natural environment but also how careful analysis and measurement can
help us change our ways towards a more productive and responsible relationship with our environment. It
provides a fundamental contribution which shows how careful attention to ecosystems and biodiversity can
help guide our response to the two defining challenges of our century: managing climate change and
overcoming poverty.‘
Professor Nicholas Stern, London School of Economics