In an ecosytem framework, we will evaluate the economic and health benefits/costs of wider changes to provisioning, regulating and cultural services, asking:

1. What are the economic ecosystem service benefits (costs) associated with changes to river catchments?
2. What are the health benefits (or costs) associated with changes to river catchments?
3. What is the specific contribution that river biodiversity makes to ecosystem service benefits?
4. How can valuation best account for uncertainty and gaps in scientific knowledge?
5. How do ecosystem service values vary across space and time?

Using outputs from Themes 2-4 we will investigate both economic (market and non-market) benefits and health benefits (costs) and explore how different ecosystem service values vary across space and time and assess novel approaches for uncertainty in valuations.

 

Economic values of services will be derived using a mix of:

1. Value Transfer Drawing values from the UKNEA, TEEB database and other published material
2. Empirical Valuation Studies For example, market values of the production of fish, water treatment costs for water quality and preferences for cultural services.

 

This assessment will consider the whole range of services put forward by the UKNEA, with a focus on the four investigated in Themes 2-4, to account for the wider picture needed by policy makers to make trade offs against all service impacts. In line with the wider project, these valuations will assess the specific contribution that river organisms make to service delivery.

PROGRESS

We have interviewed 1200 people across four Welsh rivers asking them to choose between alternative future scenarios for the provision of river ecosystem services. Initial analysis suggests that people most highly value management that reduces the health risks from contact with river water and improvements to water quality.