Valuing and evaluating marine ecosystem services: putting the right price on marine environments?

Clifton, Julian, Cullen-Unsworth, Leanne Claire ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9134-7266 and Unsworth, Richard K. F. 2014. Valuing and evaluating marine ecosystem services: putting the right price on marine environments? Environment and Society: Advances in Research 5 (1) , pp. 66-85. 10.3167/ares.2014.050105

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Abstract

The flow of ecosystem services from coral reefs, seagrass meadows and mangrove forests sustains the livelihoods of billions of people worldwide. Faced with the global degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems, policy makers are increasingly focusing on ecosystem service valuation techniques to encourage conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. Here we provide a review and synthesis of the available information on economic valuation techniques as applied to tropical marine habitats. Our study demonstrates the high variability and lack of consistency in outcomes from these studies. We conclude that, if the concept of ecosystem goods and services is to make a positive contribution towards managing the impacts of humans on the environment, then economic valuation approaches must reflect the inherent limitations of economic theory whilst emphasizing the complexity and heterogeneity of the natural environment and human decision making.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Business (Including Economics) Sustainable Places Research Institute (PLACES)
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GC Oceanography H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Publisher:	Bergahn
ISSN:	2150-6779
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	15 Nov 2024 00:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/72496

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