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From a policy perspective, an ‘ecosystem services approach’ seeks to  incorporate into decision-making the value of these benefits provided to people and the economy by the natural world. In theory, greater recognition of the range and amount of benefits that nature provides can help complement or augment existing policies. It can do so by increasing support for management of natural and physical resources, and leading to an improved understanding that society and the economy depend on nature and the socio-economic benefits of ecosystem services and how they can be maintained and possibly even enhanced. In essence, it adds to the richness of information considered by decision makers, and hence improves societal outcomes.

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Applying an ecosystem services approach to policy development [PDF, 1.2 MB]