Economic Valuation of Health Impact of PM_(10) Pollution in Beijing from 2001 to 2006

In light of the practical need for research to inform policy in Beijing,this study evaluates the economic cost of the impact of PM 10 pollution in Beijing from 2001 to 2006,taking health as the main impact,and mortality as the main outcome.Based on the literature review,this study adopts relatively conservative parameters as the basis for calculating the health impacts.It concludes that nearly 30%of mortality among registered residents above age 30 in Beijing can be attributed to PM 10 pollution,and that the economic cost equals 0.8%-1.2%of the city's GDP over the same period.This is lower than the results of previous studies,but still high enough to warrant a commitment to solve the city's air pollution problem.

Wetland Economic Valuation Approaches and Prospects in China

Ecosystem services valuation seeks to increase the social relevance of ecosystem characteristics, the underlying biological mechanisms that support services, by making the contribution of ecosystems to human well-being explicit. Economic valuation can help management by clarifying the full range of benefits and costs of proposed management actions. In the past two decades, economic valuation of wetland ecosystem services has become one of the most significant scientific priorities for wetland protection. In this paper, we provide an overview of ecosystem services, and summarize the main interdisciplinary approaches to measure and value wetland ecosystem services. We identified four main methodological gaps preventing progress on wetland valuation of ecosystem services in China, which are: 1) confusion on terminology like intermediate and final ecosystem services, 2) lack of ecological production functions to link ecosystem characteristics to final ecosystem services, 3) static valuation making it difficult to evaluate the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services, and 4) lack of clear guidance on relating ecological compensation programs to conservation targets. Overcoming these gaps is important to inform wetland compensation mechanisms and conservation policies. We propose future research on wetland ecosystem services in China should be focused on: 1) defining final ecosystem services based on beneficiary preferences and underlying biophysical mechanisms, 2) establishing wetland monitoring programs at specific sites to collect data on final ecosystem service indicators and ecosystem characteristic metrics to create ecological production functions for economic valuation and rescaling techniques, and 3) incorporating wetland ecosystem service values into decision-making processes to inform wetland management.

Economic valuation of water storage function of forest ecosystems (case study: Zagros Forests, Iran)

Forest ecosystem services contribute to human welfare, both directly and indirectly. Here the economic value of water conservation by Bazoft basin located in Zagros forests in western Iran was estimated, using simulation models and Geographic Information System （GIS） as a tool for analyzing the effects of ecological factors on ecosystem services. Rainfall-runoff simulation was carried out by using Curve Number （CN） method in HEC-HMS model. The model requires the inputs of land cover, soil and short term rainfall and discharge data. The efficiency of simu-lated model was revised using observed data and doing calibration stages. The role of forest on water retention and surface runoff reduction by devising four hypothetical scenarios and then the effects of land use changes associated with these scenarios on rainfall-runoff behavior of the region were determined. The results show that under the case of scenario one which assumes that the entire of basin area is covered by forests, total outflow would be in the minimum amount and rainfall initial loss will increase. Forest hydrological services related to water retention was economically assessed using Replacement Cost Method. Valuation results show that each hectare of Bazoft forests can store 84.8 m3 water with 0.5 US$/m3 annual value. So the water retention value of each hectare of these forests will be 43US$. This could have positive economic consequences for the region and would help decision-makers in selecting appropriate and economically feasible development strategies.

Economic Valuation of Environmental Services： Increasing the Effectiveness of PES Schemes in Developing Countries？

Payments for ecosystem service （PES） schemes have spread all over developing countries in the last 20 years or so. PES schemes often have high opportunity costs in terms of foregone uses of goods and services offered by the environment. It is within this scope that economic evaluation of environmental goods and services plays a role. In this paper we surveyed articles and studies that report application of economic environmental valuation procedures in PES schemes. Special attention was paid to data collection and analysis, to theoretical robustness of its procedures and to the aggregation of estimated value. We also scrutinize how these estimates had been incorporated into PES schemes, in particularly in the assessment phase of these schemes. Empirical data from Brazil and other Latin American countries were used, particularly those in the Amazon Basis. Our results reveal a frequent overestimation of the values of ecosystem services calculated through the use of economic valuation methods. Values have been estimated by production function methods （opportunity cost, preventive expenditures, recovering cost or dose-response methods）. As a consequence, estimated values reflect much more willingness to accept compensation by supplier and rarely willingness to pay by consumer of these ecosystem services. Besides this distance between supply and demand, application of valuation methods did not account for problems such as uncertainty, risks, and lack of information. All these limitations have led to wrong decision-making.

Economic Valuation of Emission Impact Reduction by Using Alternative Path in Yogyakarta Urban Area, Indonesia

The urban economic development needs transportation facilities. People move form one location to the other rapidly. The amount of vehicle increases, it also increases lead content in the air. The human health cost increases as lead content in the air increases. The reduction of lead content for 10 percent, it gives economic value as much as Rp. 11.828.365.993,- （US$ 985,697.17）. And if lead content decreases for 25 percent, it yields economic benefit as much as Rp. 34.509.073.173, - （US$ 2,875,765.10）. The analysis of benefit uses exposure-response function method. Analysis of people awareness for keeping the environment uses contingent valuation method survey and willingness to pay. People awareness to keep their environment and to decrease lead content is not good enough, despite the fact that there is some increase of awareness, for example the awareness of using alternative path- through ring road on peak hours.

Measuring economic loss caused by ecological damages: a case study of China's forest ecosystem in 2005

At present about 60% of ecosystem has been damaged and degraded severely, resulting in enormous ecological loss globally. The essential cause is the irrational utilization of ecosystem by humankind, so it is tire key to changing improper environmental performance of humankind so as to prevent ecosystem from being damaged The quantitative valuation on the loss of ecological damage is an effective tool to guide human eco-environmental performance. In this paper, the concepts related to the valuation on ecological damage cost are introduced,＂ uncertainties that might arise in the valuation on the loss of ecological damage such as area coverage of valuation, ecological damage quantity, borders of ecological damage cost and data support are analyzed and the valuation approaches for the loss of ecological damage are also discussed As a case study, the economic losses of ecological damage of forest in 2005 in China are valuated.

i-Tree Eco Analysis of Landscape Vegetation on Remediated Areas of Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the largest and most diverse energy, research, and development institution within the Department of Energy (DOE) system in the United States. As such, the site endures constant land development that creates rigorous growing conditions for urban vegetation. Natural resource managers at ORNL recognize that trees are an integral component of the landscape and are interested in characterizing the urban forest and their associated ecosystem services benefits. We evaluated the urban forest structure, quantified ecosystem services and benefits, and estimated economic value of resources using i-Tree Eco at ORNL. While this assessment captured over 1100 landscape trees, the ORNL Natural Resources Management for landscape vegetation can be expanded to include unmanaged landscapes, e.g. riparian areas, greenspace, and other vegetative attributes to increase ecosystem services benefits. Assigning a monetary value to urban forest benefits help to inform decisions about urban forest management, ideally on cost-benefit analysis.

Appraisal of the vegetation-based services for cropland ecosystems: a case study of a high-yielding county in North China

As people become increasingly aware of the irreplaceability of ecosystem services, defined as ＂the nataral environmental conditions and effects upon which peopic rely for existence that are formed and maintained by ecosystems and ecological processes＂, more emphasis is being placed on these services＇. In rectent years numerous studies have focused primarily on the sen,ices of natural ecosystems. This paper expands the scope of this field from natural ecosystems to semi-natuval ecosystems, i.e. cropland ecosystems, which are closely associated with human productivity and life. Taking Huantat County in Shandong Province as an example, the vegetation.based services of winter wheat/summer maize rotation systems and carton cropland ecosystems were systematically analyzed, including the material production, carbon dioxide fixation, oxygen release, water conservation, and nutrient recycling. These services were then evaluated in terms of economics through the applications of a market value technique, a substinaion engineering method and a shadow price method. The results indicated that the total economic value of cropland ecosystem vegetation.based services in Huantai County is 124.827.3 ×10^4 yuan. which is equivalent to 15.63% of the GDP of Hnantat County （798, 491 × 10^4 yuan）, Among these services, the gas regulation value is 82.698.3 × 10^4 yuan （66.25%）, the material production value is 38.049.4 × 10^4 yuan （30.48%）, the nutrient cycling value is 3257.3 × 10^4 ynan （2.61%）, and the water conservation value is 822.3 × 10^4 yuan （0.66%）. In addition, through the comparison between winter wheat/summer maize rotation systems and cotton cropland ecosystems, we conclude that the economic value of vegetation-based services provided by the former is much higher than that of the latter, which could provide a scientific guideline for adjusting the agricultural structure, Our study may facilitate the conservation of cropland ecosystems and promote effective use of vegetation-based services to achieve sustainable development of agriculture and guarantee nationwide food security.

The Challenge of Crafting Institutions for the Commons： The Case of Community Forestry Support Programs in Mexico 2003-2008

Mexico forest tenure structure is known worldwide for its progressive approach of giving local communities full property rights to set a robust support to sustainable livelihoods in forested areas. Most forest areas in Mexico are owned by local communities either through the ejido, agrarian indigenous community or groups of small owners. In the last 30 years, many forest communities explored forest production at a commercial scale, creating their own communal forestry business and concurring to national markets with their timber and non-timber products. The socio-economical impacts of this approach were tremendous, steadily improving communities living standards. This success prompted rural organizations to ask the Mexican government to launch programs to expand the ＂community forestry＂ model. With international assistance from the World Bank and other agencies, the government of Mexico launched three different programs to foster forest commons： the Forest Conservation and Management Program, the Indigenous, Communities and Biodiversity Project and the Mexican part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. Performance of these programs has been assessed through the World Bank evaluation framework, but the question about their environmental impact or even about their environmental sustainability and therefore their validity as national policies has been scantily explored and practically not debated. To contribute to answering these questions, the author made an extensive analysis of their impact over forest cover during the 2003-2008 period using land cover maps and correlated them with institutional development variables, building a social organization and collective action index （SOCAI）, following Elinor Ostrom institutional analysis and development framework （lAD）.

A Critical Analysis of Methodologies Evaluating Biodiversity in Offset Banking

The assessment of ecological impacts represents a key element of biodiversity offsetting success. After briefly introducing the main controversies arisen on biodiversity monetization and defining biodiversity banking schemes, discussions will be focused on evaluation methods mobilized in the context ofbiodiversity offset banking. Although there is currently no fixed framework assessing environment due resolutely to the specific nature of biodiversity, evaluation methods are analyzed through a review of the academic and empirical literature. This step allows to select few methods justifying these choices and presenting their pros and cons by keeping the aim to contribute to the debates. Thus, ecological assessments （service-to-service and resource-to-resource） and economic valuations （value-to-value and value-to-cost） carried out in biodiversity banking schemes will be distinguished. Finally, this paper will emphasize the inherent differences of the two evaluating forms and their specificities on the one hand, and highlight their opportunities and risks from methodological perspective on the other hand.

An Assessment of Non-timber Forest Products in the Four Ecological Zones of Swaziland as a Basis for Policy and Strategy Development

The aim of the study was to assess the flow and inventory values of non-timber foret products （NTFPs）. The methods used for user surveys included literature research, community consultations, household visits and interviews, household profiles and economic valuation models. Resource surveys incorporated a total often sampling plots （50 m × 50 m） under each landscape area in each study area and economic valuation of standing stock. The findings of the study re-affirm that NTFPs play a crucial role on the provision of subsistence and income to people＇s livelihoods, especially the poor and marginalized communities. Harvesting patterns of NTFPs normally vary within and between communities and villages adjacent to natural forests and woodlands. Increased and uncontrolled harvesting of NTFPs often leads to disappearance of numerous plant species and ultimately forest degradation. The key factors determining the variability in harvested quantities and values per household are： the wealth status, variability of species per site, season and duration of harvesting, commercialization, number of accessible natural woodlands within a site, need and demand, the household profile with regard to gender and age, and farm gate price differences. The study ultimately recommended that government, private sector, NGOs, communities, individuals, all interested and affected parties work together towards matching resource use with resource availability in order to promote sustainable resource use.

Ecosystem Service Valuation of Watershed Restoration in the Shiyang River Basin under Heterogeneous Preferences

Evaluations connect ecosystem and human welfare to achieve restoration. There have been an increasing number of studies conducted on various ecosystem service assessments, but little research has focused on inland river basins playing a critical role in development in northwestern China. The distinct differences in natural endowment, socioeconomic characteristics among the upper, middle and downstream inland river basin require heterogeneity during evaluation. The objective of this study was to verify the existence of population preference heterogeneity and examine impact factors using choice experiment surveys in the Shiyang River Basin, China. A mixed logit model using data from 714 households across the entire basin estimated mean willingness to pay and the standard deviation for ecological attributes. Ordinary least squares（OLS） was employed to estimate the effects of exogenous variables on all willingness to pay estimations. The results demonstrate that ecosystem service values are heterogeneous among people. Willingness to pay is affected by personal and regional characteristics. Government involvement will be required to seek differentiated ecosystem services values among populations and facilitate public support.

Resilience indicators support valuation of estuarine ecosystem restoration under climate change

Economic valuation of ecological restoration most often encompasses only the most tangible ecosystem service benefits,thereby omitting many difficult-to measure benefits,including those derived from enhanced reliability of ecosystem services.Because climate change is likely to impose novel ecosystem stressors,a typical approach to valuing benefits may fail to capture the contribution of ecosystem resilience to sustaining long-term benefits.Unfortunately,we generally lack predictive probabilistic models that would enable measurement and valuation of resilience.Therefore,alternative measures are needed to complement monetary values and broaden understanding of restoration benefits.We use a case study of Chesapeake Bay restoration(total maximum daily load)to show that ecosystem service benefits that are typically monetized leave critical information gaps.To address these gaps,we review evidence for ecosystem services that can be quantified or described,including changes in harmful algal bloom risks.We further propose two integrative indicators of estuarine resilience-the extent of submerged aquatic vegetation and spatial distribution of fish.Submerged aquatic vegetation extent is indicative of qualities of ecosystems that promote positive feedbacks to water quality.Broadly distributed fish populations reduce risk by promoting diverse responses to spatially heterogeneous stresses.Our synthesis and new analyses for the Chesapeake Bay suggest that resilience metrics improve understanding of restoration benefits by demonstrating how nutrient and sediment load reductions will alleviate multiple sources of stress,thereby enhancing the system’s capacity to absorb or adapt to extreme events or novel stresses.

The impacts of land-use and land-cover change on wetland ecosystem service values in peri-urban and urban area of Bahir Dar City, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Northwestern Ethiopia

Background:Even though wetlands are essential in enhancing water quality and providing recreation and entertainment opportunities in urban areas,their values are overlooked by the decision-makers.Underestimation of the economic value of wetland ecosystem services contributes to their continuing deterioration and inevitable loss.Investigating the changes in ecosystem service values(ESV)can provide crucial information for decision-making.This study,therefore,analyzes the temporal and spatial land-use/land-cover(LULC)change patterns over 35 years(1984–2019)intending to evaluate its impact on wetland ecosystem service values in Bahir Dar City,Ethiopia.Estimation and change analyses of ESVs were conducted by employing ArcGIS using LULC inputs of the year 1984,1994,2004,2014,and 2019 with their corresponding global value coefficients that were developed earlier and our own modified value coefficients for the studied landscape.Results:The results showed that wetlands and water bodies of the city and its peripheries had decreased by 75.71%(−1618 ha)within 35 years,while built-up area increased by 216.24%(+2599 ha).Cultivated land had increased slightly from 1984 to 1994 and then gradually declined since 1994.Changes in LULC had resulted in a decline of the total ESV.The total ESV had decreased from USD 29.73×10^(6) to USD 20.84×10^(6) in 35 years.This indicates the loss of nearly USD 8.9×10^(6) ESV from 1984 to 2019.A sensitivity analysis suggested the robustness of ESV estimation in the study area.All individual ecosystem services experienced a negative change.However,a greater reduction in ESV was observed for services such as water regulation,waste treatment,and habitats for maintaining biodiversity.The expansion of built-up area of Bahir Dar City was the major factor that contributed to the loss of ESV provided by wetlands.Conclusions:The loss of ESV resulting in LULC changes has a negative implication on local climate,waste management,and the livelihoods of the poor community.Thus,interventions should be made for the restoration and sustainable management of wetlands in the urban and peri-urban areas of Bahir Dar City.