The DPSIR framework for integrating the Ecosystem Services in River Nestos lagoons- Greece.

It is well documented that conservation and management of water resources are directly related to the sustainable living, i.e. to social, economic and environmental aspects. There has been much effort by the European research community to provide tools to support the implementation of freshwater sustainability and management policy instruments. In this context the DPSIR model was used as an analytical framework for determining pressures and impacts under the WFD as it is considered as an effective tool for both society and policy makers concerning water resources management. There is also an increasing interest about the importance of key ecosystem services in maintaining of human well being sustaining also water related services. Thus, there is much political and scientific drive to embrace the “Ecosystem Services” (ES) based approach. Based on the linking of these processes we present an integration of the DPSIR model with the ES concept using as case-study the River Nestos lagoons (Greece). According to the DPSIR approach the major driving forces leading to pressures were the agriculture, the irrigation, the unrestrained livestock, the industry and the urban wastewater.We outline the main changes in the State and in the Ecosystem Services which are essential to support sustainability. Our results show that integrating pressure analysis with Ecosystem Services we provide a useful tool for implementing management policies.