Paper: Valuation of ecosystem services in developing countries.

The following paper is now published in Ecological Economics...

Christie M, Fazey I, Cooper R, Hyde H and Kenter JO. (2012) An Evaluation of Monetary and Non-monetary Techniques for Assessing the Importance of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services to People in countries with developing economies. Ecological Economics, 83, 69-80.

It is based on a Defra funded research project.

Paper abstract.

Biodiversity supports a range of ecosystems services that are of fundamental importance to people in poor countries. Economic valuation of biodiversity is important for the development of policies that protect biodiversity and alleviate poverty. This paper provides an evaluation of monetary and non-monetary techniques for assessing the value of biodiversity to people in least developed countries (LDCs). Specifically, research questions include:

1. To what extent have monetary and non-monetary techniques been used to assess the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services in LDCs?
2. What are the key methodological, practical, epistemological and policy challenges to assessing the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services in LDCs?
3. How can valuation methods be improved to allow more accurate valuation in LDCs?

Our results show that:

• There is currently a paucity of biodiversity valuation studies in LDCs.
• Conventional approaches to valuation are often inappropriate for use in LDCs.
• Incorporating ideas from participatory, deliberative and action research methods into valuation techniques can make them more suitable for use in LDCs.
• There is a need to build capacity within the academic and policy-making communities in LDCs, to ensure that the benefits of biodiversity are properly accounted for in policy decisions.

Two papers in Ecosystem Services is now published online

Two of my papers that are being published in the first edition of Ecosystem Service journal are now available to view online:

Christie and Rayment (2012) An economic assessment of the ecosystem service benefits derived from the SSSI biodiversity conservation policy in England and Wales. Ecosystem Services (In Press)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2012.07.004


de Groot et al (2012). Global estimates of the value of ecosystems and their services in monetary units. Ecosystem Services (In Press)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2012.07.005  

NERC VNN 'BRIDGE' project secures special issue in Environment and Planning C

My NERC VNN 'BRIDGE' project http://www.valuing-nature.net/projects/bridge  has secured the 'go ahead' for a special issue in Environment and Planning C on 'Embedding an Ecosystems Approach? The Utilisation of Ecological Knowledges in Decision Making'. 


The special issue seeks to better understand the interactions between the supply of, and demand for, ecosystem knowledge in different decision making arenas or venues. Specifically, it aims to:

• better understand the uptake and immediate influence of ecosystem knowledge in public, private and third sector decision making venues;
• investigate the sources and processes of ecosystem knowledge development, and how these facilitate or hinder its utilisation in different venues at different levels of governance;
• explore the scope for bringing ecosystem knowledge into decision-making processes, by examining critical decision making venues where knowledge is (or could in future) be used, such as land use planning, policy appraisal and cost benefit analysis.

The 10 papers to be included in the special issues (subject to peer-review) are based on the papers presented at the VNN BRIDGE 'Decisions' workshop held on 3-4 May 2012. Although we don't have an exact date for this issue, it is likely to be published late 2012 / early 2013. I'll post more detail when we get it.

Many thanks to Duncan Russell and Andy Jordan for all their hard work securing this output.

Third paper accepted for publication in one week!

I'm on a roll ... just had a third paper accepted for publication this week!

Rudolf .S. de Groot; Luke Brander; Sander van der Ploeg; Florence Bernard; Leon Braat;
Mike Christie; Robert Costanza; Neville Crossman; Andrea Ghermandi; Lars Hein (2012). Global estimates of the value of ecosystems and their services in monetary units. Ecosystem Services. In Press

The paper discusses the Ecosystem Service Value Database (ESVD) that was used in the TEEB study. Note that we plan to build up the ESVD database in the future, so that we attain a much more comprehensive suite of value evidence on the value of ecosystem services across different biomes. In turn, this will allow more robust use of value transfers in the future. For more info on ESVD, see http://www.fsd.nl/esp/79128/5/0/50 .

Below is the abstract from the paper...

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the value of ecosystem services provided by 10 main biomes based on data from local case studies worldwide, expressed in monetary units. In total, over 320 publications were screened covering over 300 case study locations. Approximately 1350 value estimates were coded and stored in a searchable Ecosystem Service Value Database (ESVD). A selection of 665 value estimates were used for the analysis of the methods, locations, ecosystem services, and ranges of values presented in this paper.

Acknowledging the uncertainties and contextual nature of any valuation, the analysis shows that the total Value Estimated in Monetary units (VEM) of ecosystem services is considerable and ranges between 490 int$/year for the total bundle of ecosystem services that can be provided by an ‘average’ hectare of open oceans to almost 350,000 int$/year for the potential services of an ‘average’ hectare of coral reefs.

More importantly, our results show that most of this value is outside the market and best considered as non-tradable public benefits. The continued over-exploitation of ecosystems thus comes at the expense of the livelihood of the poor, and future generations. Given that many of the positive externalities of ecosystems are lost or strongly reduced after land use conversion better accounting for the public goods and services provided by ecosystems is crucial to improved decision making and better management, and new institutions are required for better management.

'Economic valuation of ecosystem services from SSSIs' paper accepted for publication to Ecosystem Services Journal

My paper, with Matt Rayment 'An economic assessment of the ecosystem service benefits derived from the SSSI biodiversity conservation policy in England and Wales'.has now been accepted for publication of the first edition of the new Ecosystem Services journal. The paper is based on a Defra research project that we completed last year.

Abstract
Despite significant conservation efforts, global biodiversity continues to decline. A key contributing factor has been a failure to fully recognise the range of 'ecosystem service' benefits provided by biodiversity. In this paper, we use a case study relating to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in England and Wales to demonstrate the potential ecosystem service benefits that can be derived from biodiversity conservation policies. Our approach involved three stages. (1) a choice experiment to assess the economic value of ecosystem services delivered by SSSI sites; (2) a 'weighting matrix' to (a) assign ecosystem services to the different SSSI habitats and (b) identify the contribution that conservation management on SSSIs has on the delivery of these services; (3) estimation of the aggregated economic value of ecosystem services directly attributable to conservation management on SSSI sites.

The public are willing to pay £956m annually to secure the levels of services and benefits currently delivered by SSSI conservation activities, and a further £769 million to secure the benefits that would be delivered if SSSIs were all in favourable condition. These benefit estimates significantly exceed the annual £111 million costs of managing SSSIs, demonstrating that investing in biodiversity conservation can be cost effective.

Local Nature Partnerships

In its Natural Environment White Paper, the UK Government recognised that there was a need for local areas to work in a joined up and strategic way to help manage the natural environment to produce multiple benefits for people, the economy and the environment. To achieve this ambition, the White Paper has proposed the establishment of Local Nature Partnerships (LNPs). The vision is that LNP's will comprise a broad range of local organisations, businesses and people with the credibility to work with and influence other local strategic decision makers. The LNPs will thus help their local area to manage the natural environment as a system and to embed its value in local decisions for the benefit of nature, people and the economy. See the Defra LNP website for more details.

Over the past few weeks I have been involved in the setting up of two LNPs:

• Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin LNP

• Staffordshire LNP

My input into these start up meetings was to provide a theoretical overview of the ecosystem service benefits that might be provided by nature, and thus help to demonstrate why it is important for local people to work together to protect their natural environment. Could I wish both LNP partnerships the best wishes for their projects, and would encourage other local authorities to also submit their applications into Defra to form such partnerships.


Mike