What Are the Main Options for Applying the Multiple-Use Water Services Paradigm? - Rethinking Infrastructure Design for Multi-Use Water Services - page 58

as well as their potential in reaching the targeted quality, quantity and combi-
nation of ecosystem services produced by your

→ natural capital.

6. Assess distributional impacts of policy options
Changes in availability or distribution of ecosystem services affect people dif-
ferently. This should be considered in social impact assessment, either as part of
the analysis or as part of appraising policy options.
Look out: The relative importance of each step is determined by your situation
and objectives. Taken together, adapted to your needs, and incorporated into
existing decision-making procedures, they offer guidance for considering natural
capital in local policy. Other technical, legal, economic and social information
also needs to be considered. The steps can also help you design a monitoring
system and thereby track the condition of your natural capital.

10.5 How Can Economic Valuation Assist Policymaking?

Providing information about bene ts (in monetary terms or otherwise) and

￿

costs;

Creating a common language for policymakers, business and society allowing
the real value of ecosystems services to become visible and be accounted in
decision making;

￿

Revealing the opportunities to work with nature by demonstrating where it
offers a cost effective means of providing valuable services (e.g. water supply or
reduced

￿

flood risk);

Emphasising the urgency of action through demonstrating where and when the
prevention of biodiversity loss is cheaper than restoration or replacement;

￿

Generating information about value for designing policy incentives (to reward
the provision of ecosystem services and activities bene

￿

cial to the environment,

to create markets or level the playing field in existing markets, and to ensure that

polluters and resource users pay for their environmental impacts). (Source

TEEB ( 2010c ))

The Project (TEEB 2010b )
A change in national legislation has increased treatment requirements by
lowering acceptable bacterial levels. The added designation of new residential
areas will also increase volume to a level that can no longer be handled by
your city s plant

Step 1 As director of the responsible department, you commission a pre-
feasibility study for the construction of a modern plant that meets
both quality and quantity requirements. The province-level devel-
opment bank has an attractive credit scheme to help

'

nance