It is the result of an extensive search, screening hundreds of valuation studies and selecting the few that are directly usable. The repository is structured to allow an IW project manager undertaking a benefit transfer to easily identify the studies available for the transfer to her/his project area, to select the most appropriate ones, and to have all information at hand to perform any adjustments to the values cited that might be necessary.

 The search fields and options are the following:

• Broad ecosystem type: marine/freshwater/all.
• Specific ecosystem: list of specific ecosystems (such as mangroves, lakes etc.).
• Services: list of specific ecosystem services.
• Valuation Methods: list of valuation methodologies.
• Monetary Unit: Dollars, and other currencies listed in the repository.
• Socio-economic characteristics - GDP/capita: list of the countries/regions for which there are studies in the repository.
• Socio-economic characteristics - area: rural or urban.
• Warm or cold water ecosystem.

The studies found should be assessed for compatibility - the PDF versions of the original studies are to be found in the first column of the results table (via hyperlink).

See the Tier 1 Guidance Document, section 5, for details and a step-by-step guidance of how to proceed.

In addition to the studies highlighted in the repository, multiple GEF IW Projects have concluded ecosystem-wide or partial valuations during their project implementation. These include:

• Bay of Bengal LME
• Benguela Current LME
• Canary Current LME
• Dniester River Basin (Lower Dniester Wetlands)
• Drin River Basin (Lake Ohrid)
• Guinea Current LME
• Humboldt Current LME