Abstract: One
of the threats to the marine environment is eutrophication, which
causes many adverse impacts that reduce human well-being. Determining
the benefits of improving the state of marine areas has drawn increasing
attention, especially with the establishment of the European Union
Marine Strategy Framework Directive. However, existing knowledge of the
benefits provided by marine ecosystem services in Europe is limited and
context-specific. This study applies meta-analysis to summarize
available information on the value of reducing eutrophication in
European sea areas, and to provide welfare predictions for different
scenarios. The challenges related to the small number of available
studies are addressed by employing a Bayesian meta-regression. Several
models are compared with prior and posterior predictive checks, and
value predictions are estimated using Bayesian model averaging. The
results indicate that the perceived benefits of reducing eutrophication
in European marine areas can be considerable, with the predicted annual
willingness to pay per person ranging from $6 for small local changes to
$235 for substantial changes covering large sea areas. The findings
suggest that values differ between marine regions, highlighting the
importance of investigating previously unstudied geographical areas. As
marine policy requires international cooperation, future studies would
also benefit from collaboration between countries.
Highlights
►
Meta-analysis is used to summarize existing knowledge of the benefits
of reducing eutrophication in Europe marine areas.
► Bayesian techniques
are employed to address the challenges related to the small number of
observations.
► Several models are compared with predictive performance
checks and WTP predictions are done using Bayesian model averaging.
►
The benefits of reducing eutrophication can be substantial, with the
predicted WTP ranging from $6 to $235 per person.
► Future valuation
studies should be directed to previously unstudied geographical areas
and international collaboration.
a MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
b Fisheries and Environmental Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
Ecological Economics via Elsevier Science Direct www.ScienceDirect.com
Volume 83; November, 2012; Pages 1–10
Keywords: Meta-analysis; Benefit transfer; Bayesian estimation; Eutrophication; Marine areas
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