Assessment of the losses of ecosystem services of non-flowing waters as a consequence of military intervention

Abstract

This study explores the challenges in developing a contemporary system of assessment indicators for determining damage to biodiversity. It specifically focuses on the eco-economic aspects of assessing losses in ecosystem services of non-flowing water bodies due to military intervention. To achieve the set objectives, the article utilizes a combination of general scientific and specialized methods from modern ecosystem theory and general ecological assessment, including analysis, synthesis, generalization, systematization, abstract-logical methods, and more. The methodological and theoretical foundation of the research is based on key principles of modern ecosystem theory (following the CICES methodology) regarding the assessment of ecosystems based on selected categories (types) of ecosystem services. In this context, a comprehensive evaluation of lost ecosystem services in non-flowing water bodies is proposed, focusing on major types of potential losses (functional features: provisioning, regulation and support, cultural and recreational services). Using the case study of the destroyed Kakhovka Reservoir, the article applies scoring methods (according to Ya. Didukh) and the «transfer of value» method (according to R. Costanza) to calculate losses in ecosystem services. The article suggests a comprehensive structure for the eco-economic assessment of losses in ecosystem services of non-flowing water bodies, combining two distinct components: ecological and economic. The ecological component may include scoring, expert, and experimental assessments, while the economic component may involve the assessment of losses in ecosystem services of freshwater ecosystems in non-flowing water bodies: a) by their major types (functional features); b) in general. The practical application of the proposed methodological approaches allowed for the monetary assessment of the complex of lost ecosystem services of the Kakhovka Reservoir due to military actions, amounting to approximately $27,452,889,000, which should be fully compensated by the aggressor state. Future research prospects lie in the theoretical-methodological justification and development of a domestic mechanism for assessing losses in ecosystem services of surface waters, particularly non-flowing water bodies, resulting from military intervention. These prospects are rooted in a comprehensive examination of scoring, expert, and experimental assessment indicators within the framework of general ecological assessment