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Journal ArticleDOI

The economic value of wetland ecosystem services: evidence from the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors assessed the economic value of the selective ecosystem services of the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, using a combination of market-based and value transfer methods, and found that economic benefit generated from the reserve was worth USD 16 million per year, equivalent to USD 982 per household.
Abstract: We assessed the economic values of the selective ecosystem services of the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, using a combination of market-based and value transfer methods. The results showed that economic benefit generated from the reserve was worth USD 16 million per year, equivalent to USD 982 per household. The economic benefit generated from provisioning services accounted for about 85%. Although non-use values and some components of regulatory services were not considered in the study, our findings clearly highlight the vital importance of the economic benefit generated from the reserve for wellbeing of the local people. This has significant policy implications for balancing development and conservation efforts. Given the high levels of poverty in the buffer zone communities and the limited alternative livelihood options, pressure on the reserve is increasing and the management investment is insufficient, which has accelerated the degradation of vital services thereby imposing further constraints on conservation goals. We recommend that the ecosystem services provided by the reserve should be recognized as an integral part of a strategy and ensure sound policy and institutional mechanisms exist to empower and provide local communities to act on the options for minimizing trade-offs and promoting synergies using a holistic approach.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the spatiotemporal variations of land use and land cover and quantified the change in three important ecosystem services (food production, carbon storage, and habitat quality) in the Koshi River Basin, Nepal during 1996-2016 by using freely available data and tools such as, Landsat satellite images and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model.
Abstract: The provision of ecosystem services is directly related to the type of land use and land cover and management practices in a given area. Changes in land use and land cover can alter the supply of ecosystem services and affect the well-being of both humanity and nature. This study analyses the spatiotemporal variations of land use and land cover and quantifies the change in three important ecosystem services (food production, carbon storage, and habitat quality) in the Koshi River Basin, Nepal during 1996–2016 by using freely available data and tools such as, Landsat satellite images and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model. During the observed time period, there was an overall gain in urban areas (190 sq.km), forests (773 sq.km) and grassland (431 sq.km); loss of cultivated land (220 sq.km) and shrub lands (847 sq.km), mostly occurring in the lowlands (≤1000 m). As a result of the land cover changes, while food production and carbon storage showed a declining trend, overall habitat quality in the basin increased. There is a need to design novel and effective landscape approaches that address local realities and that will aid the maintenance of ecosystem services. We recommend landscape level planning to improve urban and agricultural sectors and focus on halting the loss of ecosystem services.

157 citations

01 Jan 2014
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated how rural inhabitants appreciated ecosystem services through questionnaires with 98 people in 30 villages and assessed the perception of people about ongoing changes in their communities through semistructured interviews with 50 people in 5 villages.
Abstract: Many traditional cultural landscapes evolved as coupled social-ecological systems. It is important to understand how such systems navigate novel challenges posed by globalization. To address this issue, we bring together two components of a pilot study carried out in a cultural landscape from Central Romania. The region was affected by major social and economic perturbations in the past century, affecting ethnic composition, community cohesion, land property regimes, and the management of common resources. The first component of our study investigated how rural inhabitants appreciated ecosystem services through questionnaires with 98 people in 30 villages. The second component aimed to assess the perception of people about ongoing changes in their communities through semistructured interviews with 50 people in 5 villages. Rural inhabitants particularly valued provisioning ecosystem services such as firewood, water, and crops, but also healthy soils. Rural communities were characterized by a number of social and economic issues, especially individualism, lack of trust, corruption, and poverty. People from communities with many initiatives, e.g., NGOs, associations, and active individuals, were more optimistic regarding the future of their communities than people from villages with few or no initiatives. A major challenge for cultural landscapes such as those in Central Romania is to find new, meaningful ways to keep the social and ecological systems connected. Otherwise there is a risk that (short-term) socioeconomic interests may impair the provisioning of important ecosystem services.

102 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the impact of land use change on the ecosystem service value in West Jilin since the reform and opening of China and found that the main characteristic of land change change in WestJilin was area reduction in grassland and marsh and area increase in arable land and alkali-land.
Abstract: Land resources were the foundation of human survival and development. The change of land use altered the pattern of vegetation and landscape, caused the change of ecosystem structure and function and changed the value of regional ecosystem services. This study spatially and quantitatively explored the impact of land use change on the ecosystem service value in West Jilin since the reform and opening of China. The results showed that the main characteristic of land use change in West Jilin was area reduction in grassland and marsh and area increase in arable land and alkali-land. However, land use change in Period I (1976–2000) got a faster rate than in Period II (2000–2013). Land use change resulted in the ESV in West Jilin decreased by 1334 million yuan since the reform and opening up of China, with an annual loss of 39.2 million yuan in Period I and 30.2 million yuan in Period II. The conversion of marsh to other types land use was the primary land use reason for the decrease in ESV. Alkali-land expanded quickly in Period I, however, the trend of salinization turned to be curbed and the area of alkali-land began to decrease after 2000, which increased the ESV by about 234 million yuan. Due to the concern of local government and relevant scientific research departments, the ecological and environmental deterioration were meliorated and the decrease rate of ecosystem services value also slowed down. Excitingly, ESV even increased in some areas on account of land use was becoming more rational.

96 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a model linking three facets of tourist involvement (importance and pleasure, sign value, and risk probability and consequence) with tourist experience (TE) and environment was examined.
Abstract: This study examines a model linking three facets of tourist involvement (“importance & pleasure,” “sign value,” and “risk probability & consequence”) with tourist experience (TE) and environmentall...

80 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the nature of the physical vulnerability of wetland using logistic regression (LR) and fuzzy logic (FL) approaches for both pre and post-dam periods.

71 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
15 May 1997-Nature
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors have estimated the current economic value of 17 ecosystem services for 16 biomes, based on published studies and a few original calculations, for the entire biosphere, the value (most of which is outside the market) is estimated to be in the range of US$16-54 trillion (10^(12)) per year, with an average of US $33 trillion per year.
Abstract: The services of ecological systems and the natural capital stocks that produce them are critical to the functioning of the Earth's life-support system. They contribute to human welfare, both directly and indirectly, and therefore represent part of the total economic value of the planet. We have estimated the current economic value of 17 ecosystem services for 16 biomes, based on published studies and a few original calculations. For the entire biosphere, the value (most of which is outside the market) is estimated to be in the range of US$16-54 trillion (10^(12)) per year, with an average of US$33 trillion per year. Because of the nature of the uncertainties, this must be considered a minimum estimate. Global gross national product total is around US$18 trillion per year.

18,139 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provided an updated estimate based on updated unit ecosystem service values and land use change estimates between 1997 and 2011, using the same methods as in the 1997 paper but with updated data, the estimate for the total global ecosystem services in 2011 is $125 trillion/yr (assuming updated unit values and changes to biome areas).
Abstract: In 1997, the global value of ecosystem services was estimated to average $33 trillion/yr in 1995 $US ($46 trillion/yr in 2007 $US). In this paper, we provide an updated estimate based on updated unit ecosystem service values and land use change estimates between 1997 and 2011. We also address some of the critiques of the 1997 paper. Using the same methods as in the 1997 paper but with updated data, the estimate for the total global ecosystem services in 2011 is $125 trillion/yr (assuming updated unit values and changes to biome areas) and $145 trillion/yr (assuming only unit values changed), both in 2007 $US. From this we estimated the loss of eco-services from 1997 to 2011 due to land use change at $4.3–20.2 trillion/yr, depending on which unit values are used. Global estimates expressed in monetary accounting units, such as this, are useful to highlight the magnitude of eco-services, but have no specific decision-making context. However, the underlying data and models can be applied at multiple scales to assess changes resulting from various scenarios and policies. We emphasize that valuation of eco-services (in whatever units) is not the same as commodification or privatization. Many eco-services are best considered public goods or common pool resources, so conventional markets are often not the best institutional frameworks to manage them. However, these services must be (and are being) valued, and we need new, common asset institutions to better take these values into account.

3,932 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an enhanced framework for the valuation of ecosystem services, with specific attention for stakeholders, is proposed, which includes a procedure to assess the value of regulation services that avoids double counting of these services.

1,218 citations

Book
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors highlight and illustrate the approach adopted by TEEB: namely to show how economic concepts and tools can help equip society with the means to incorporate the values of nature into decision making at all levels.
Abstract: The aim of this synthesis is to highlight and illustrate the approach adopted by TEEB: namely to show how economic concepts and tools can help equip society with the means to incorporate the values of nature into decision making at all levels.

958 citations

Posted Content
01 May 2008
TL;DR: The European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) market has been successful in its mission of reducing emissions through internal abatement at home, and of stimulating emission reductions abroad as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The carbon market is the most visible result of early regulatory efforts to mitigate climate change. Regulation constraining carbon emissions has spawned an emerging carbon market that was valued at US$64 billion (Euro 47 billion) in 2007. Its biggest success so far has been to send market signals for the price of mitigating carbon emissions. This, in turn, has stimulated innovation and carbon abatement worldwide, as motivated individuals, communities, companies and governments have cooperated to reduce emissions. The European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) market has been successful in its mission of reducing emissions through internal abatement at home, and of stimulating emission reductions abroad. The European Commission, learning from the experience of Phase I, has strengthened several important design elements for EU ETS Phase II. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) accounted for the vast majority of project-based transactions (at 87 percent of volumes and 91percent of values) and JI saw transacted volumes doubling and values tripling in 2007 over the previous year. The CDM alone saw primary transactions worth US$7.4 billion (Euro 5.4 billion), with demand coming mainly from private sector entities in the EU, but also from EU governments and Japan.

607 citations

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