According to the recently published report “Charting new waters: Investments for water protection 2012”, the number of initiatives to protect and restore forests, wetlands, and other important ecosystems, key for water protection, have almost doubled in just four years due to governments urgently look for sustainable alternatives to expensive investments in physical infrastructure.

The study reveals that in 2011 US$ 8.170 million were invested for protecting drinking water and water supplies through the preservation of vegetation in water basins, which is US$ 2.000 million above of 2008.

One fact that highlights among others is that China leads investments on protection of water basins globally. China has the least water resources per person among the main countries in the world (World Bank) and the scarcity and pollution of water in China has cost already 2,3% of his GDP.

Regarding the approach of water protection programs, in Latin America the trend is to offer a non- money compensation for ecosystem protection. In Santa Cruz Valley (Bolivia), for example, more than 500 families receive beehives, fruit trees and wire (wire to maintain cattle away from rivers) in exchange of their efforts to protect water.

Mostly, water programs addressed in the report are relatively simple interchanges, but the return of investment may be important.

The report has been elaborated by Ecosystem Marketplace (Forest Trends).

Read official full press release.

Read the report Spanish / English