Non-use Values Research Articles

Valuing Health Surveillance as an Information System: Interdisciplinary Insights.

The economic evaluation of health surveillance systems and of health information is a methodological challenge, as for information systems in general. Main present threads are considering cost-effectiveness solutions, minimizing costs for a given technically required output, or cost-benefit analysis, balancing costs with economic benefits of duly informed public interventions. The latter option, following a linear command-and-control perspective, implies considering a main causal link between information, decision, action, and health benefits. Yet, valuing information, taking into account its nature and multiple sources, the modalities of its processing cycle, from production to diffusion, decentralized use and gradual building of a shared information capital, constitutes a promising challenge. This work proposes an interdisciplinary insight on the value of health surveillance to get a renewed theoretical framework integrating information and informatics theory and information economics. The reflection is based on a typological approach of value, basically distinguishing between use and non-use values. Through this structured discussion, the main idea is to expand the boundaries of surveillance evaluation, to focus on changes and trends, on the dynamic and networked structure of information systems, on the contribution of diverse data, and on the added value of combining qualitative and quantitative information. Distancing itself from the command-and-control model, this reflection considers the behavioral fundaments of many health risks, as well as the decentralized, progressive and deliberative dimension of decision-making in risk management. The framework also draws on lessons learnt from recent applications within and outside of health sector, as in surveillance of antimicrobial resistance, inter-laboratory networks, the use of big data or web sources, the diffusion of technological products and large-scale financial risks. Finally, the paper poses the bases to think the challenge of a workable approach to economic evaluation of health surveillance through a better understanding of health information value. It aims to avoid over-simplifying the range of health information benefits across society while keeping evaluation within the boundaries of what may be ascribed to the assessed information system.

ECONOMIC VALUATION OF MANGROVE FOREST IN THE EAST COAST OF THE CITY OF SURABAYA, EAST JAVA PROVINCE, INDONESIA

The city of Surabaya has been voted as one of the pilot areas of mangrove forest conservation in ASEAN. Most of the mangrove forest area in the city of Surabaya spread across the East Coast (Pamurbaya). The purpose of this study is to estimate the total economic value of mangrove forests in the area as a source of information for planning and evaluation of conservation policy. The results of the valuation involving some valuation techiques, both market and non-market approaches, yield total economic value of about Rp 49.6 billion (US$ 3.8 million) per year, or 105.3 million (US$ 8,101.8) per ha per year. Almost all of these values is the use value, particularly direct use valule both extractive (timber and fisheries) and non extractive (outdoor recreation). Indirect use value which consists of abrasion barrier and carbon sinks contributed relatively small compared to the direct use value. Meanwhile, non-use value is the smallest contributors to the total economic value. This fact proves that the mangrove forest in Pamurbaya has economic benefits outweigh the ecological benefits. Keywords: economic valuation, mangrove, non-market approach, the city of Surabaya

Compensation for elimination: an innovative technique for evaluating the monetary value of cultural heritage sites

ABSTRACTTo assess the efficiency of funding policies, governments study the economic value of cultural heritage sites. Because of their unique nature, an innovative evaluative tool is proposed here – CFE – compensation for elimination – rather than the commonly used willingness to pay (WTP) or the travel cost method (TCM). CFE, based on the familiar willingness to accept (WTA), should be adopted to better reflect the non-use values attached, even unconsciously, to cultural heritage sites.

Does amazonian land use display market failure? An opportunity-cost approach to the analysis of amazonian environmental services

The article discusses whether deforestation in the Amazonian region should be considered a typical case of market failure and computes the opportunity cost of economic activities that promote deforestation relative to uses that keep the forest intact. For environmental resources threatened by Amazon deforestation, forms of productive land use (“opportunity” uses) are considered in terms of the net benefit values of primary land-based activities. The accounting exercise conducted in this study calculates the net benefit per hectare obtained from the direct use value (DUV) for different land use alternatives (timber, non-timber, livestock and agriculture); the indirect use value (IUV) related to carbon storage; and the non-use value (NUV) (existence value). The results show that the opportunity cost of deforestation in 2009 was positive for the most common land use, livestock activity. Such findings indicate a market failure. Nonetheless, this is not the only possible outcome when considering alternative land uses.

Preference uncertainty as an explanation of anomalies in contingent valuation: coastal management in the UK

Directly asking respondents in contingent valuation surveys their willingness to pay is one of the few quantitative methods available to assess full economic value (including both use and non-use values) of non-market environmental goods. It therefore remains vitally important to better understand the reasons for consistently observed violations of procedural invariance in such surveys. This paper describes an empirical experiment designed to examine whether uncertainty might provide an explanation for three commonly observed violations of procedural invariance in contingent valuation. In each case, we present a plausible explanation for each anomaly through decision heuristics brought about by respondents trying to answer the question truthfully when their underlying preferences are stable but uncertain. Using a novel semi-parametric estimator, we find little evidence to support the idea that anomalies can be resolved through an uncertainty explanation, but our experiment provides noteworthy insights into the ways uncertain preferences may be shaped by the nature of contingent valuation questions.

Trading Off Co-produced Marine Ecosystem Services: Natural Resource Industries Versus Other Use and Non-use Ecosystem Service Values

Ecosystem services (ES) may be both non-market and market based. Both may provide important input to societal welfare. Using natural resources, or converting nature in the development of market based ES may impact the access to non-market or more conservationist ES, and vice versa. How does the general public trade-off between these two types of ES? We use two valuation studies in Northern Norway to identify the public’s preferences for marine industries versus other marine use and non-use values. One study assesses willingness to pay to protect cold-water corals, a relatively abundant, and to some degree, protected resource off the coast of Norway. The other study elicits people’s willingness to pay for stricter regulations of industrial activity in the coastal zone, providing more coastal area for recreational activities. Both studies show strong conservation preferences, and willingness to forego blue industrial growth. However, these preferences are heterogeneous across socio-economic characteristics, and, interestingly, educational level is the characteristic that most distinctly separates the population into various preference groups.

Economic valuation of Lansa Mangrove Forest, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract. Sondak CFA, Kaligis EY, Bara RA. 2019. Economic valuation of Lansa Mangrove Forest, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 978-986. Mangrove forest gives many benefits and services to human and environment. Even though it contributes many benefits and services, coastal ecosystems threatened as one of the most critical ecosystems in the world. The study aims to estimate the economic value of ecosystem services provided by Lansa mangrove forest, Wori Sub-district, North Minahasa District, North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Here, we describe the use value (direct and indirect value) and non-use value (option and existence value), and emphasize the components of ecosystem services fish resources, firewood, coastal protection, biodiversity, carbon (C) removal and mangrove sustainability because these directly influence human welfare. Their market price calculated fish and C removal value. Coastal barrier and firewood were approached using the replacement cost method. Biodiversity value was calculated using Indonesia mangrove forest biodiversity value. Contingent Valuation method was used to find out people willing to pay for the sustainability of mangrove forest. Lansa mangrove forest total economic value (TEV) was IDR 4,431,197,603 or equal to US$ 305,600 (US$ 1,959 ha-1). The success of this mangrove valuation has potentially large implications for future policy-making of its’ ecosystem service values.
 

Valoración de servicios ecosistémicos y algunas experiencias en el occidente colombiano

Múltiples autores coinciden en que no existe una definición estandarizada del término “servicios ecosistémicos” lo que hace difícil la determinación de parámetros a evaluar cuando se requiere hacer la valoración de estos, igualmente, hace compleja la interpretación de los resultados. Las Naciones Unidas en el informe sobre la Evaluación de los Ecosistemas del Milenio (MEA) clasificaron los servicios ecosistémicos dentro de cuatro categorías: i) servicios de aprovisionamiento, ii) servicios de regulación, iii) servicios de apoyo, y iv) servicios culturales. Los servicios ecosistémicos pueden clasificarse en valores de uso y valores de no uso, la suma de los valores de uso y valores de no uso resulta en el considerado valor económico total (VET), el cual al estar expresado en términos monetarios lo transforma en una herramienta útil para los responsables de elaborar Políticas ambientales. Para calcular el VET existen varios métodos: a) métodos de valoración directa del mercado, b) métodos de preferencia revelada y c) métodos de preferencia declarada. Las experiencias con esquemas de valoración de SE implementados en algunas partes del suroccidente colombiano muestran que no todas pueden considerarse como esquemas de pagos por SE, aunque si poseen algunos de los elementos característicos de dichos métodos.

Monetary evaluation of marine reserve ecosystem services in the Caribbean

The paper presents the findings of an evaluation of the total economic value (TEV) of marine ecosystems of a planned marine reserve in Precheur, North of Martinique, Caribbean. Almost 95% of the TEV, estimated at EUR 58 million annually, derives from non-use values, while about 5% are from Direct use values with a predominance of leisure values, and less than 1% percent comes from the Indirect use values despite the high biodiversity interest of the location. In that regards, estimates made in the context of this study are to be considered as orders of magnitude intended to feed the strategic dialogue for the development of the future marine reserve on one hand, and budgetary decisions of public policy guidelines on the other. It is therefore essential to adopt a collaborative approach between all actors involved on the coast. Moreover, public policies must take into account the protection of marine ecosystems and even more of their enhancement in a perspective that combines economic utilitarianism and selflessness. The marine ecosystems of Le Precheur have indeed emerged as elements of the identity of the coastal population of Le Precheur but also of Martinique as a whole and, as such, must be highlighted.

The Assessment of Ecosystem Services in Urban Areas

The Assessment of Ecosystem Services in Urban Areas

Contingent valuation and rural potable water systems: A critical look at the past and future

Determining the value of environmental goods that impact human populations, such as potable water, is often highly problematic. The all‐too‐common lack of realistic markets for the provisioning of these goods necessitates the use of nonmarket valuation techniques. Contingent valuation surveys are often an appropriate method, thanks to their ability to value hypothetical changes and nonuse values, and their limited prior data requirements. When properly implemented, contingent valuation surveys can estimate the maximum willingness to pay of surveyed individuals, allowing the value of the environmental good to be accurately measured. An analysis of the extant body of contingent valuation studies of rural potable water systems in developing and emerging countries indicates that rural water consumers are willing to pay, often substantially, for the creation of a potable water system or for improvements to existing system. Studies involving changes to existing potable water system, through improving an existing system for greater reliability or sustainability, showed a high degree of consistency in respondents' willingness to pay estimates as a percentage of income or current water tariff. Higher incomes, higher levels of education and youth, among other characteristics, were found to be positively correlated with higher willingness to pay estimates. Future contingent valuation studies focusing on improving comparability through greater methodological consistency, and addressing the impact of community power dynamics, intercommunal cleavages, and subsidies could be especially productive.This article is categorized under: Human Water > Value of Water Engineering Water > Planning Water Human Water > Water Governance

Assessment of the Forest Resources Non-Use Value in Qinling Mountain Area

The study is to use the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), it is a direct interview approach that can be used to solicit the willingness to pay (WTP) for the non-use value of environment and resources. Questionnaire survey with a sampling size of 700 respondents was conducted in April 2016. The result indicated: Willingness to pay for the non-use value of forest resources in Qinling mountain area is 99.14 Yuan/person ·a, the non-use value of forest resources in Qinling mountain area is 37.80×108 Yuan/a, the existence value for 13.98×108 Yuan/a, the inheritance value for 12.86×108 Yuan/a, the choice value for 10.96×108 Yuan/a. Cultural level and individual annual income cognition degree and the affection degree of forest resources in Qinling mountain area are to affect the important factor that resident WTP pays level.

PRESERVATION MODEL FOR SUBAK IN BALI FROM ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS PERSPECTIVE

: This study aims to determine the social benefits, the total economic value of Subak andpreservation models of Subak in terms of the environment economics aspect. The research was conducted inthree Subaks: Subak Sangeh in Badung, Subak Bungan Kapal in Tabanan and Subak Padang Tegal inGianyar. The social benefits value of Subak was determined by calculating the values of direct use, indirectuse value and the value of alternative uses (option value), while the Total Economic Value was determinedby the sum of use value and non-use value. The determination of Subak preservation model utilizedinvestment eligibility criteria, namely Net Present Value (NPV) and Net Benefit Ratio (B/C). The findingssuggest that, regarding to the environmental economics aspect, the Subak system is feasible and worthwhileto be preserved, as shown by social benefits NPV greater than zero and social benefits Net B/C greater thanone. Based on these findings, Subaks in Bali should be managed properly to sustain their environmentalfunctions and proper environmental economic assessment should be conducted as a reference for the effortsto avoid the conversion of Subak farmlands into other functions.

STRUCTURE OF UTILIZATION OF LIVING DIVERSITY OF WILD ANIMAL BY COMMUNITY IN COASTAL AREA OF TOMU DISTRICT, TELUK BINTUNI DISTRICT, PAPUA BARAT

Tomu District is one of the areas in the coastal district of Teluk Bintuni, West Papua. The accelerated development that continues to develop will significantly affect the existence of wildlife in the Tomu District. The purpose of this study was to identify the diversity and distribution of coastal wildlife in Tomu district. In addition, this study wants to identify the structure of its use by the community. The study was conducted in Tomu District, Bintuni Bay Regency in January 2017. The method used was rapid observation in three sample points as representatives of three habitat types. In addition, interviews were conducted with community representatives in the Tomu District. The results showed that there were 44 species of birds, 3 types of mammals, and 5 types of herpetofauna found during the study. Based on information from the community, 3 species of animal were found in the study area but were not found during the study. The utilization structure by the community consists of the utilization of direct values (economic / recreation) and non-use value (conservation) and there is no utilization to take indirect values from their biological wealth.
 Keywords: 
 Tomu District, biodiversity, wildlife, utilization structure, Bintuni Bay

Sustainable tourism and forest conservation: The case of the Belum-Temengor Rainforest Complex in Perak, Malaysia

ABSTRACTEcotourism is a sustainable use of forest resources, as compared to traditional uses such as logging or mining. However, whether turning forests into tourist sites can generate incomes comparable to the lucrative traditional activities is less clear. We estimated the recreational values of the Belum-Temengor Rainforest Complex (BTRC) in Perak, Malaysia, and compared it with the alternative of one-time consumptive revenues from logging. Based on data from an on-site survey of 367 visitors to BTRC, direct non-consumptive use values were computed using the individual travel cost approach and the truncated Poisson count data model. The annual direct non-consumptive use value was RM14.66 million based on the estimated number of nights spent and willingness-to-pay per trip. The future cash flows of recreation demand were RM614 million, RM970 million, and RM1.86 billion for the next 30, 50, and 100 years, respectively. Own-price, cross-price, and income elasticities of recreation demand were also computed. Visitors’ on-site travel cost, alternative-site travel cost, income, ethnicity (Malay), and marital status (Single) were associated with recreation demand. Our main conclusion is that the direct non-consumptive use values from recreation demand and other indirect use and non-use values from forest conservation exceed the one-time consumptive revenues from logging.

Evaluation of the non-use value of beach tourism resources: A case study of Qingdao coastal scenic area, China

Beaches, an important component of coastal tourism resources, are gradually eroding as a result of environmental pollution, ecological damage, etc., which is ignored by tourists as more recreational coastal activities become available. In this context, the present study attempts to investigate the willingness to pay (WTP) of tourists and evaluates the non-use value of beach tourism resources to protect beaches from further deterioration. Towards this aim, a scientific survey is implemented on the beaches of Qingdao coastal scenic area (China) with application of the contingent valuation method (CVM). In addition, this study uses a logistic regression model to analyze the factors affecting tourists' WTP. The results indicate that 80.8% of tourists would be willing to pay to preserve beach tourism resources, and the mean WTP is $10.0 (¥66.7) per year when zero values are considered. Factors such as tourists' gender and traveling frequency to the beaches significantly affect their WTP to preserve beach tourism resources, with females exhibiting a higher probability of paying than males, and those with a higher traveling frequency also present a higher probability of paying. The non-use value of beach tourism resources is estimated at $0.8 billion (¥5.4 billion), based on the total number of tourists in Qingdao in 2016 as the survey sample. Therefore, scientific evaluation of the non-use value of beach tourism resources is beneficial to the sustainable development and preservation of beaches.

The economic benefits of achieving Good Environmental Status in the Finnish marine waters of the Baltic Sea

This study provides monetary estimates of the benefits of achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) in the Finnish marine waters of the Baltic Sea. The designed contingent valuation study addresses the non-market benefits related to all descriptors defining GES in the Baltic Sea, and it is designed to conform to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive's request to estimate the national costs of the degradation of the marine environment. According to the results, Finns are willing to contribute annually €105–123 per person to achieve GES in the Finnish marine area. This indicates that the total monetary benefits of reaching GES are €432–509 million annually in Finland. The results also show that Finns value a healthy marine environment irrespective of how far from the coast they live and even if they do not use the sea themselves. They particularly want public funding to be allocated to reducing hazardous substances and eutrophication. Moreover, Finns place especially high importance on cultural ecosystem services related to the existence of habitats for species as well as on recreation and aesthetic values. This confirms that the public funds used for Baltic Sea protection measures seem to be largely accepted even by the population mainly benefiting from non-use values.

Assessing values, attitudes and threats towards marine biodiversity in a Greek coastal port city and their interrelationships

The global marine environment degradation is strongly related to the unsustainable use of the marine living resources and the ineffective conservation policies. Assessing individual's general perceptions of marine biodiversity may contribute to the implementation of successful conservation policies within the existing social-cultural context. The present work investigates citizens' assigned values for ecosystem services, perceived threats, and attitudes toward marine biodiversity in a Greek coastal port city, Thessaloniki. We used the Social Values Indicators for ecosystem services list of items to measure values, a revised form of the Ocean Attitudes Questionnaire to assess attitudes toward the marine environment, and adopted items from past research to explore the perceived threats to the marine environment. Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed the structure of the constructs. Τhe results showed positive attitudes towards marine biodiversity while participants recognized the contribution of marine biodiversity to both ecological balance and economic development. Pollution from industry and farming were identified as the most important threats to the marine environment. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to confirm the structure of the constructs and assess the relationships between attitudes, threats, and values. The results indicated that use values are strongly but negatively related to ecological attitudes and perceived threats, while non-use values are significantly and positively related to attitudes and threats. The utility of these results for designing effective policy implementations that incorporate public perceptions is discussed.

Public perception of river fish biodiversity in four European countries.

Public support for biodiversity conservation is shaped by people's values and their knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward the environment. We conducted the first multinational representative survey of the general public's perceptions of river fish biodiversity in France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. For the online survey, 1000 respondents per country were randomly selected from large panels following country-specific quotas set on age, gender, and educational level. Questions covered people's level of knowledge, beliefs, values, and attitudes toward river fish, environmental threats, and conservation measures. We found that the public had limited knowledge of freshwater fishes. Two non-native species, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), were widely perceived as native, whereas native Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was mostly classified as native in Scandinavia and largely as non-native in central Europe. These results suggest an extinction of experience paralleling the extirpation or decline of salmon stocks in countries such as Germany and France. Respondents thought pollution was the dominant threat to riverine fish biodiversity. In reality, habitat loss, dams, and the spread of non-native fishes are equally important. Despite limited biological knowledge, respondents from all countries held an overwhelmingly proecological worldview, supported conservation stocking, and appreciated native fishes, although only a minority interacted with them directly. Differences among the 4 countries related to several conservation issues. For example, threats to biodiversity stemming from aquaculture were perceived as more prevalent in Norway compared with the other 3 countries. Promoting fish conservation based on charismatic species and use values of fishes may work well in countries with a strong economic and cultural link to the freshwater environment, such as Norway. In countries where people rather abstractly care for nature, focusing conservation messaging on broader ecosystem traits and non-use values of fishes is likely to win more support.

Contingent Valuation of Environmental Goods: A Comprehensive Critique, edited by DanielMcFadden and KennethTrain. Published by Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, United Kingdom, 2017, pp. 319, ISBN: 978‐1‐78643‐468‐5, AU$210.

Contingent Valuation of Environmental Goods: A Comprehensive Critique, edited by DanielMcFadden and KennethTrain. Published by Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, United Kingdom, 2017, pp. 319, ISBN: 978‐1‐78643‐468‐5, AU$210.