- To promote the concept of valuation of the socio-economic benefits of protected areas and integration of such values in ongoing assessments of the benefits of protected areas among the IUCN community, conservation agencies and decision makers generally. Where resources are available, to provide advice and assistance to such agencies to assist them in carrying out valuations themselves
- Information provision: to act as an information centre providing information and advice to WCPA task forces, and other commissions and working groups about the application of valuation of PAs and biodiversity conservation.
- Linking IUCN economic projects and Commission members to act as a link between IUCN staff carrying out programmes which involve economic valuation and the WCPA and other IUCN commission members, who may be able to apply the information and knowledge gained from the IUCN programme to their own circumstances.
WCPA Economic Valuation of Protected Areas Task Force
Nicholas Conner
WCPA Economic Valuation of Protected Areas Task Force Leader
Mr Nicholas CONNER
59-61 Goulburn street
c/o Department of Environment and Climate Change
PO Box A290
Sydney South 1232
New South Wales 2000
Australia
Tel: ++61 (0) 2 9995 6053
Fax: ++61 (0) 2 9995 5938
Email: nicholas.conner@environment.nsw.gov.au
Objectives
The economic valuation task force was established in 2006 with the following objectives:
Membership
The task force currently has members from a number of WCPA regions, with expertise in a wide range of socio-economic issues relating to protected area planning and management. Members’ interests include equity issues relating to distribution of the costs and benefits of protected areas and conservation, sustainable natural resource use, biodiversity conservation and livelihoods, tourism and protected areas, socio-economic and cultural values of protected areas, impacts of protected areas on regional economies, and valuation of coastal and marine ecosystem services.
As the task force membership grows, we hope to establish regional networks under the overall coordination of the task force. Possible areas for regional networks in the near future include Oceania and
Links
Organisations carrying out programmes to build capacity in valuation of protected areas and biodiversity conservation include the following:
Environmental Economics Programme for South-East Asia
c/-Dr. Herminia Francisco, Director
E-mail: hfrancisco@idrc.org.sg
Website: http://www.eepsea.org<
Centre for Environmental Economics in Africa (CEEPA)
c/- Prof Rashid M Hassan, Director
www.ceepa.co.za
Conservation Strategy Fund
John Reid, President
Email: john@conservation-strategy.org
Website: http://earthmind.net/rivers/home.htm
International Institute for Environment and Development -
Markets for Environmental Services Project
http://www.iied.org/SM/eep/projects/mes/EnvironmentalEconomicsCapacitybuilding.html
References
References for selected topics can be found below. More Information on these and other topics relating to valuation of protected areas and natural resources will be added as the website develops.
Protected areas and local and regional economies
http://conservation-strategy.org/files/Madidi%20Economics%20Complete%20document.pdf
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/content/northeast_economic_study
http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/KenaiNWR.pdf
Integrated economic-ecological decision-support models
http://icam.anu.edu.au/products/clam.html
http://rmmc.asu.edu/abstracts/nrm/vol15-3/intro.pdf
Market-based instruments for biodiversity conservation
Bush Tender Project, Victoria, Australia
http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrence.nsf/LinkView/ 15F9D8C40FE51BE64A256A72007E12DC8062D358172E420C4A256DEA0012F71C
Biodiversity Banking Scheme, New South Wales, Australia
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatspec/biobankscheme.htm
Equity issues
Thinking about the future: equity and sustainability
http://www.environment.gov.au/about/publications/economics/equity/sustain.html
Socio-economic costs of Invasive species
Environmental and Economic Costs of Nonindigenous Species in the United States
http://people.hws.edu/bshelley/Teaching/PimentelEtal00CostExotics.pdf>
Valuing ecosystem services
Valuation of Ecosystem Services - Introductory Guide to Valuing Ecosystem Services in Policy Making (UK)
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/natres/eco-value.htm
The Economic Importance of Healthy Alaska Ecosystems
http://rmmc.asu.edu/abstracts/nrm/vol15-3/intro.pdf
Disclaimer and Contact
For more information about the task force andthe activities of its members, please contact nicholas.conner@environment.nsw.gov.au
The contents of this webpage do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of WCPA, IUCN or the contributory organisations. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN or contributory organizations
