Primary Functions
- Support decision-makers and land managers who wish to understand and balance the value of ecosystems with development goals.
Detailed Description
The Watershed Ecosystem Services Tool (WESTool) allows users to explore how ecosystem services, land uses, and socioeconomic factors interact across Cambodia’s landscapes. By combining advanced science with intuitive maps and tools, the WESTool offers valuable information at the local, regional, and national scale to support decision-makers and land managers who wish to understand and balance the value of remaining forests with development goals.
How was the WESTool Developed?
Through a research effort led by the United States Agency for International Development Supporting Forests and Biodiversity Project (USAID SFB), land-use and land use change mapping was combined with advanced hydrological modeling and scientific analyses to asses key ecosystem services across Cambodia’s landscapes. These analyses were integrated with information on land use and socioeconomic factors to better represent the complex role that ecosystem services play in Cambodia’s society and economy.
WESTool Features
Each tab in the WESTool offers unique maps and analytic tools for a particular set of key ecosystem services or socioeconomic factors. The first six tabs present information on specific ecosystem services or socioeconomic factors. The Practical Applications tab presents a series of sector or industry-specific analyses that the WESTool can produce. The Analysis tab combines the data from all tabs, allowing users to build their own custom analysis by combining maps and data offered separately in the first six tabs.
