Economic Importance of Environmental Benefits and Costs for the North Coastal Zone in the Province of Camagüey, Cuba

Abstract

Environmental benefits and costs are very recurrent terms when they come to sustainable development. Keys for the north coastal area of Camaguey province, is a major tourist development plan in the medium term in Cuba. But is nonetheless a concern how to maintain environmental quality when important natural values are identified. It is a very fragile ecosystem that exists in the ten protected areas, of these one with international importance (Wildlife Refuge High River from Camaguey). Preliminary works’ hypothesis is that if you identify yourself to about the coat was five in the area Camaguey northern coastal ecosystem as increased interconnection planned tourism development in their keys, money are in your products and natural features and environmental costs are estimated to be able to evaluate the economic feasibility of environmental area through the benefit ratio cost. Correspondingly two objectives are identified: 1. Estimate the environmental benefits and costs in the northern coastal area of Camaguey and 2. Calculate the cost benefit relation methodological procedure designed and validated in the Territorial Project Analysis of the production of goods and services environmental in the north coastal area of the province of Camaguey, Cuba executed by CIMAC in 2010. The environmental and economic benefits for the ecosystem to date represent 39 pesos for every peso of environmental cost updated.