Ecosystem Services
As the socio-economic and cultural values of natural ecosystems are increasingly being recognised, so is our knowledge of the range and diversity of the ecosystem services they provide. In 2003, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment suggested a simple typology to summarise the various services from natural ecosystems. This typology has been adapted and revised to outline the various ecosystem services we might expect from protected areas and lists the benefits associated with these services.
The IUCN WCPA Natural Solutions Specialist Group is focussing it work on five main areas: food, water, disaster risk reduction, health and climate change. Each of these issues is described in more detail and has a specific section on this website. Other Specialist Groups within IUCN WCPA which look at related issues include:
