Water-Regulating Ecosystem Services (WRES) play a crucial role in maintaining water quality and preventing soil erosion, particularly in watershed areas that are vulnerable to Land Use Land Cover Changes (LULCC) and climate change. This study focuses on the Upper Beht Watershed, the most ecologically significant basin of the Ifrane National Park (INP). The main objective is to understand how WRES values respond to the challenges posed by grasslands degradation, agricultural intensification, and urban expansion before and after the park's creation. In this research, we first analyzed historical Land Use Land Cover (LULC) data from 1992 to 2022 using Google Earth Engine platform. We then employed the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST 3.10.2) models to quantify and map the impacts of ongoing LULCC on the watershed's capacity to retain sediments and nutrients. Finally, we used the damage costs avoided method for economic assessment of WRES. Our findings demonstrate a notable improvement in the economic value of WRES following the establishment of the park, reaching USD 10,000 per year. In contrast, prior to its creation, this service experienced a decline of USD -7000 per year. This positive trend can be attributed to the expansion of forest cover in areas prioritized for reforestation and conservation interventions. The study highlights the critical importance of continuous WRES monitoring, providing park managers with robust data to advocate for sustained conservation efforts and increased investment in restoration initiatives within protected areas. Moreover, the findings can be used to raise awareness among local communities and encourage their active engagement in sustainable development initiatives.

The purpose of this study was to compare two methods for assessing damage from the degradation of soils and agricultural lands located in the Kalachevsky district of the Volgograd Region. The amount of damage from soil and land degradation was calculated by the Methodology for determining the amount of damage from soil and land degradation (1994) and the cost of restoration (reclamation) of degraded soils was determined using the SmetaWizard estimate program (version 4.1.3). It was established that the most significant contribution to the total amount of damage from soil and land degradation (175 573 000 rubles or 64 955 rubles/ha) was made by the increase in the share of exchangeable sodium in soils (147 424 528 rubles or 54 541 rubles/ha), which is due to the development of the process of alkalinization in the soils of the studied agricultural sector in the region. This degradation process, which is harmful to the agricultural use of soils and lands, was found in areas that comprise 52% of the total farm area. This indicator's significant damage is also associated with extended periods of restoration (reclamation) work, 4 years. The cost of reclamation work amounted to 11 647 353 rubles or 4309 rub./ha. The maximum contribution (78%) to this was made by damage from soil organic matter losses (the amount of damage was 9 131 525 rubles or 3378 rubles/ha). The significant difference in the total values of the environmental and economic assessment of soil degradation and the land of the Donskoye agricultural enterprise in the Kalachevsky district, calculated in various ways, is associated with the methodological features of this assessment: the assessment of damage from degradation by the Methodology ... (1994) is a stricter approach than estimating the cost of reclamation (restoration) measures. Thus, soils may be degraded compared with a standard (considered when assessing damage), but this degradation is insufficient to justify reclamation.

The Northeast Passage (NEP) holds immense potential as a link for maritime transport activities between Europe and Asia, primarily due to the extended sailing season resulting from global warming. However, the economic viability of the Arctic shipping route remains disputed. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the feasibility of container transportation along the NEP compared to that along the Suez Canal Route (SCR) by using current (2021-2023) and future (2025-2065) scenarios. The results reveal that larger vessels have lower CO2 emissions and costs than small vessels in the NEP, but the costs for larger vessels in the NEP are still higher than those in the SCR throughout both summer and winter seasons under the current scenario. The outcomes also show that a progressive carbon tax scheme will increase the unit shipping costs for all routes in the future scenario, with the NEP being most economically viable during summer. Furthermore, the extended navigable period (NP) bolsters the NEP's economic cost advantage during a seasonal period. Nevertheless, from a year-round operations standpoint, the NEP remains less competitive than the SCR before 2065. The conclusions drawn from this research serve as a significant resource for decision-makers when formulating operational plans.