Environmental Valuation A Worldwide Compendium of Case Studies

At a time when developing economies around the world are facing serious environmental problems, this companion volume to Economic Instruments for Environmental Management presents essential information on the applications of economic valuation to environment and development. It draws on a three-year collaborative effort involving research institutions in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

This companion volume to Economic Instruments for Environmental Management presents essential information on the applications of economic valuation to environment and development. It draws on a three-year collaborative effort by research institutions around the world. Authoritative studies review the range of valuation methods used in developing economies, their purposes, the problems encountered and the quality of the results. Topics covered include the value of wildlife viewing, the conservation of rainforests, mangroves and coral reefs, supplying rural water, and controlling urban air pollution. The analysis reveals important methodological and contextual factors, highlighting key lessons and ways of strengthening future valuations. Written to be accessible to non-economists, the book provides source material for students and academics, and for policy-makers and professionals, using valuation methods to frame policy.

Introduction * Africa Region Case Studies: Valuing Time Spent Collecting Water in a Kenyan Town * The Recreational Value of Viewing Wildlife in Kenya * Determinants of Land Values in Accra, Ghana * Measuring the Costs of Rainforest Conservation in Cameroon * Asia Region Case Studies: Evaluation of the Profitability of Forest Plantations in the Philippines * Health Effects and the Value of Air Pollution Reduction in Taiwan * Environmental Considerations in the Environmental Impact Analysis of the Katunayake Expressway in Sri Lanka * Eastern and Central Europe Region Case Studies: An Economic Assessment of the Natural Resources of the Baltic Oil Shale Basin: Case Study of Estonia * Valuation of Natural Resources of the Moscow District of Russia * Latin America Region Case Studies: Valuing the Net Benefits of Air Pollution Control in Santiago, Chile * The Costs and Benefits of Reef Conservation in the Bonaire Marine Park, in the Netherlands Antilles * Estimating the Willingness to Pay for Water Services in Haiti * Total Economics Value of Forests in Mexico * Partial Economic Valuation of Mangroves in Nicaragua * Further Reading: Valuation Studies in Developing Countries * Glossary * Index

Hussein Abaza is Chief of the Economics and Trade Unit at UNEP. Jennifer Rietbergen-McCracken is a freelance consultant specializing in the social aspects of sustainable development.