(Article begins on Page 124) To date, ecosystem services have generally been overlooked in terms of planning and policy decisions in Cambodia. More specifically, in Phnom Penh, the role of wetland ecosystems in retaining stormwater flows for flood protection has not been sufficiently recognized. However, determining the value of urban wetlands in mitigating the impacts of flood events in heavily populated urban areas is complex and difficult to conceptualize. This study assesses this value in terms of the regulating ecosystem services they provide. It achieves this by placing a value on the economic losses experienced in three study areas in Phnom Penh that experience regular rainy season flooding. A mixed methods approach was used to collect the required data for this analysis from 300 questionnaire respondents, as well as through interviews with key informants.
