Water values: Participatory water ecosystem services assessment in the Arno River basin

Water-related Ecosystem Services (WES), namely the multiple benefits produced by water moving through the landscape (Duku et al. 2015), constitute an overlap of the biosphere and the anthroposphere (Spangenberg et al. 2014). On one hand, society acts as a driver of landscapes transformation, influencing the ecohydrological processes that underpin a large set of potential WES. On the other hand, society can be interpreted as a recipient of the WES provided by the ecosystems. Taking advantage of hydrological modelling and social mapping techniques, the presented research focuses on the citizen-ecosystem nexus providing a sound basis to facilitate a shared watershed planning process within the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60/EC). Aiming at developing a transdisciplinary analysis framework to support the watershed management through the participatory evaluation of WES, the study takes into account the specific case of Figline-Incisa municipality (Tuscany Region, Italy). The territory, part of the Arno river watershed, is situated in an area where water has a strong socio-cultural and economic relevance for the citizens. The objectives of the study are (1) to realize an assessment of the ecosystem services provided by water and land use setting in the territory of Figline-Incisa Municipality, within the Arno River basin in central Italy; (2) to carry out an analysis of the society perception regarding the value of water resources in the territory by utilizing a WES framework; (3) to develop a framework for the valuation of WES, by integrating the results of objectives (1) and (2). The approach provides a sound basis to facilitate a shared watershed planning process within the WFD where the instances of population are combined with the experts' analysis. The conceptualization of the link between humans and environment can support the WFD in promoting wider policy objective of sustainability, moving from the achievement of a good ecological status as a target itself to the recognition of the fundamental role of the ecosystem in supporting societal goals.