Valuation of Hidden Water Ecosystem Services: The Replacement Cost of the Aquifer System in Central Mexico

摘要: This paper reports research estimating the costs of replacing groundwater that metropolitan areas Mexico City, Toluca, and Cuernavaca, in Central Mexico, pump from 10 over-exploited aquifers with 6 supply alternatives surface water. These provide about 70% water required by more than 28 million people, their recharge zones forested are increasingly threatened economic activities. By designing a constrained optimization program minimizes investment operation costs, we found extraction involves construction all six at an estimated cost US$25 billion present values (US$0.6 m−3 over 26-year period). We designed analyzed scenario to combine measures reduce leaks City; positive balance was found: every dollar invested leak control reduces replacement between US$1.9 US$8.4. Therefore, our results suggest prioritization order aquifers. Local authorities should be warned economics losing ecosystem services crucial sustaining population activities region study.