Valuing the benefits of implementing a national strategy on biological diversity—The case of Germany

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2012.07.020 

Abstract: The National Biodiversity Strategies and Actions Plans (NBSAP), required by Article 6 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, have been developed to make them meaningful as strategic instruments. One objective is to make the benefits of conservation more visible and build support for conservation activities. However, so far determining the benefits within the NBSAP has rarely taken place. This paper presents results from a nationwide contingent valuation study investigating the benefits of implementing a set of measures derived from the National Strategy on Biological Diversity (NBS) in Germany. Results from a survey employing the contingent valuation method interviewing more than 2300 people indicate that implementing the NBS would generate substantial benefits, ranging between €2.3 billion and €9.3 billion per year. Monetizing benefits arising from the strategy provide important information for policy makers, especially as biodiversity conservation will very likely face stronger competition with alternative land uses such as food or biomass production in the future. Comparing the benefits to the opportunity and management costs shows that implementing the NBS in Germany is economically sensible.

Highlights:

► Determining the economic benefits of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans rarely takes place.
► Competition with land uses such as biomass production requires to make benefits more visible.
► A nationwide contingent valuation in Germany indicates significant conservation benefits to society.
► Substantial share of costs is covered even when benefit aggregation relies on conservative assumptions.

by Jürgen Meyerhoff^a, , Daija Angeli^b, and Volkmar Hartje^a 

^a Institute for Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany 
^b Society of Biology, London, United Kingdom

Environmental Science & Policy via Elsevier Science Direct www.ScienceDirect.com

Volume 23, November 2012, Pages 109–119
Keywords: Biodiversity protection; Contingent valuation; Ecosystem services; National Biodiversity Strategies and Actions Plans; Willingness to pay