Journal ArticleDOI
The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital
Robert Costanza,Rudolf de Groot,Stephen Farberk,Monica Grasso,Bruce Hannon,Karin E. Limburg,Shahid Naeem,José M. Paruelo,Robert Raskin,Paul Suttonkk,Marjan van den Belt +10 more
TLDR
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.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Building with Nature: in search of resilient storm surge protection strategies
E.J.J. van Slobbe,H.J. de Vriend,Stefan Aarninkhof,Kristiaan R.D. Lulofs,M. de Vries,P. Dircke +5 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual framework for Building with Nature is used to evaluate coastal protection strategies, based on a case study of the Holland coast in the Netherlands, and the added value and the limitations of these strategies are discussed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Economic growth, biodiversity loss and conservation effort
Simon Dietz,W. Neil Adger +1 more
TL;DR: This analysis shows that the extent of government environmental policy increases with economic development, and concludes that conservation effort can only ever result in a partial deceleration of biodiversity decline partly because protected areas serve multiple functions and are not necessarily designated to protect biodiversity.
Journal ArticleDOI
Ecosystem services and poverty alleviation: A review of the empirical links
TL;DR: The ESPA programme is funded by the UK Department for International Development, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as mentioned in this paper, with support from the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) Programme.
Journal ArticleDOI
Applying contingent valuation in China to measure the total economic value of restoring ecosystem services in Ejina region
TL;DR: In this article, an attempt to apply the Contingent valuation method (CVM) in rural China was made to obtain estimates of willingness to pay for restoring Ejina ecosystem services.
Journal ArticleDOI
Have Ecosystem Services Been Oversold
TL;DR: By illustration with alternatives, it is attempted to show how the ES paradigm has constrained thought, particularly towards the monetization and financialization of nature, even when many ecologists and others oppose this trend.
References
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Book
Using surveys to value public goods : the contingent valuation method
TL;DR: Mitchell and Carson as discussed by the authors argue that at this time the contingent valuation (CV) method offers the most promising approach for determining public willingness to pay for many public goods, an approach likely to succeed, if used carefully, where other methods may fail.
Journal ArticleDOI
Nature's services: societal dependence on natural ecosystems.
TL;DR: Nature's Services brings together world-renowned scientists from a variety of disciplines to examine the character and value of ecosystem services, the damage that has been done to them, and the consequent implications for human society.
Book
For The Common Good: Redirecting The Economy Towards Community, The Environment And A Sustainable Future
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that the scale of human activity in the biosphere has grown too large and that change is needed in the approach to economic activity: "correction and expansion a more empirical and historical attitude less pretense on being science and willingness to subordinate the market to purposes that it is not geared to determine."
Journal ArticleDOI
Primary production required to sustain global fisheries
Daniel Pauly,Villy Christensen +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the mean of reported annual world fisheries catches for 1988-1991 (94.3 million t) was split into 39 species groups, to which fractional trophic levels, ranging from 1.0 (edible algae) to 4.2 (tunas), were assigned, based on 48 published Trophic models, providing a global coverage of six major aquatic ecosystem types.
Journal ArticleDOI
Natural Capital and Sustainable Development
Robert Costanza,Herman E. Daly +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a minimum necessary condition for sustainability is the maintenance of the total natural capital stock at or above the current level, to be relaxed only when solid evidence can be offered that it is safe to do so.