Environmental services, water and economy

Environmental services (ES) related to natural ecosystems are seriously threatened by local activities and global warming. The ES related to water and its effect on quality and quantity in watersheds that supply aqueducts and irrigation systems has great social and economic importance. For Bogotá-Colombia the ES of páramos and cloudy forest in the Chingaza basin represents US$18.2 million per year. For water supply in the city of Quito-Ecuador, the negative effect of climate change (CC) related to the contraction of glaciers represents a 31% increase in investments versus the scenario without CC. Measures must be taken to ensure the permanence of ES and mitigate the effects of CC.