Environmental valuation in Greece: a review and analysis of contingent valuation studies

Abstract

During the last four decades there was a massive expansion in the worldwide popularity of the contingent valuation (CV) method as a tool for the economic assessment of the environment. However, it is only in the late 1990s, when this method was first applied in Greece. Since then, a growing number of CV surveys were conducted in the country to estimate a wide range of environmental costs and benefits. The aim of this paper is to review the CV studies conducted in Greece in order to provide an overview of the main methodological issues and results. In this context, 34 CV studies were retrieved and classified into particular resource/environmental groups. All studies are then discussed in terms of their design features, as well as in terms of their policy implications. This analysis may actually serve as a reference for future policy-making regarding environmental planning and management decisions.