How New York City used an ecosystem services strategy carried out through an urban-rural partnership to preserve the pristine quality of its drinking water and save billions of dollars and What lessons it teaches about using ecosystem services

Abstract

This presentation by Al Appleton, former New York City Commissioner of Water and Environment, discusses his experience setting up payment schemes for farmers in the Catskill Mountains that have not only safeguarded New York City's water supply (saving an estimated 5 billion USD investment in a water treatment facility), but also helped preserve rural farming communities. He describes in detail the challenges faced in the process and the innovations they developed to overcome them. The conclusion provides lessons learned from the experience and key criteria for developing ecosystem service strategies in other locales.