Ecosystem Services in Urban Areas – Social, Environmental, and Economic Benefits

The benefits deriving from ecosystems, defined ecosystem services, are fundamental for human well-being. The future capability of ecosystems to provide drinking water, clean air, healthy food, and protection against floods, is determined by changes in socioeconomic characteristics, land use, biodiversity, atmospheric composition, and climate. In urban areas, green and blue infrastructure (GBI) can be a cost-effective strategy to deliver several ecosystem services. The economic benefit of urban ecosystems, although difficult to quantify, can be important in terms of mitigation of the urban heat island effect, reduction of stormwater runoff, and provision of cultural and habitat services.