Abstract
Developed countries in the Global North leads the way in the field of study of urban ecosystem services (UES), whereas the concept remain relatively nascent in South Asia. This review synthesizes the current research trends over the last two decades (2000-2021) on urban ecosystem services in South Asia, to shed light on the little-known state of services in this region. Findings reveal that research in this discipline is heavily concentrated in India (63 out of 97 studies), while other countries remain significantly underrepresented. Among service categories, regulating services and cultural services have received the most attention (34% each), and in terms of structures, large green spaces such as parks and gardens have been the focus of most research (56% in total). Ecosystem indicators have been the primary focus (69%), reflecting the growing environmental concerns, and studies have often adopted a social assessment approach, highlighting the intrinsic relationship between humans and nature from a socio-cultural perspective. However, apart from cultural services assessment, most research has primarily focused on the supply of services rather than the actual demand and flow, with limited understanding of service interaction. The review not only contributes to SDG 15 by highlighting the role of urban ecosystem services research in promoting urban green space and biodiversity conservation, but also offers potential scope for enhancing land-use scenario and Earth system modeling through identification of key methodological trends and regional data gaps in research. Finally, this study emphasizes the urgent need to expand research in unexplored areas dedicated to sustainability and resilience.