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freshwater
include provision of fresh water, protection
from storm surges/flooding, fertile soil
and food, clean air, climate regulation, and
initiative medicines.
That research, conducted by CI’s Center for Applied To support our research, CI will collaborate with local
Biodiversity Science (CABS) and published in the journal partners to establish three regional freshwater research
BioScience, found that hotspots and high-biodiversity centers, focusing first on Mexico and Central America,
wilderness areas account for a significant proportion of Indo-Burma, and China. These centers of research
the planet’s ecosystem services. These services support excellence will be the primary mechanism for delivering
communities and economies around the globe, including freshwater biodiversity and water services research in the
more than a billion poor people who most critically depend three regions.
on them and can least afford to pay for alternatives. CI and
partners are now assessing the economic value of services
Spatial concordance of
global biodiversity priorities
and ecosystem service value.
Volume 57(10):868-873.
©American Institute of Biological
Sciences
0
0 99
Biodiversity priority
(percentile)
Promoting Innovative Policies
Decisionmakers and corporate partners will be essential service options. Similar approaches have been empirically
to our efforts to change policies and business practices demonstrated in states like California and nations like
to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem Israel, both of which adopted highly innovative public
services. For example, burgeoning human populations and policies, market-driven utility regulations, and market
their resulting agricultural and industrial development all incentives for delivering the least-cost and lowest-risk
rely on abundant supplies of fresh water for their continued electric, natural gas, and water utility services.
progress. However, this kind of large-scale development
can deplete freshwater supplies and/or substantially alter Another cost-effective way to meet human demand for
the flow, distribution, and quality of water. The challenge fresh water is to increase efficiency. Agriculture accounts
for conservationists is to help guide development in ways for more than two-thirds of water demand, but wastes
that guarantee future supplies of fresh water for both up to 80 percent of water used for conventional crop
human communities and freshwater biodiversity, while irrigation. CI is also exploring water efficiency and quality
suggesting alternatives to the kinds of projects that most standards through the Water Stewardship Alliance and
immediately threaten biodiversity. other partnerships.
Two of the most immediate threats to freshwater The magnitude and complexity of our global freshwater
ecosystems are hydropower dams and the use of challenges demand innovative, cutting-edge solutions.
water for agriculture. Dam building is predicted to We are equipped and prepared to use the latest policy
increase dramatically in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and economic tools to address the threats to freshwater
over the next decade, and many of these dams will ecosystems by quantifying the valuable services they
have severe impacts on freshwater ecosystems. CI and provide to human communities, and by showing how
partners recognize the need for energy and sufficient much people benefit from intact functioning ecosystems.
water for crop irrigation, but we believe that provision For example, CI is partnering with others to help ratify
of multiple benefits is possible through sound resource the United Nations Watercourse Convention, which
planning and management. helps address transboundary water conflict and resource
management issues.
OUR mission
Built upon a strong foundation of science,
partnership and field demonstration, CI
empowers societies to responsibly and
sustainably care for nature for the well-being
of humanity.
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