Marine ecosystem services and their contributions to health and well-being

Caroline Hattam

28th November 2013

Growing Plymouth’s Health and Wealth through the Natural Environment

Marine ecosystem services: what are they?

“The direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human health and well-being” (TEEB, 2010)

• Tangible goods and intangible services

• Ecological in nature

• Would continue to exist irrespective of humans

• Fundamental to our well-being

• Contested term

Biophysical structure or process

(e.g. vegetation cover or Net Primary Productivity)

Function*

(e.g. slow water passage, biomass)

Ecosystems & Biodiversity

Service

(e.g. flood- protection, products

Benefit(s)

(contribution to health, safety, etc)

(econ) Value

(e.g. WTP for protection or products

Human wellbeing (socio-cultural context)

Institutions & human judgments determining

(the use of) services

Management/restoration

Feedback between value perception and use of eco-system services

* Subset of biophysical structure or process providing the service

TEEB: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (2010)

Drivers of biodiversity loss and ecosystem

degradation

World A: without action

World B: with action

Quantify and map ecosystem service

provision

Quantify and map ecosystem service

provision

Quantify and map differences in service

provision

Quantify and map economic value of

differences in ecosystem services

Quantify and map net economic

consequences of action

How does it affect poverty? Equity? Global GDP? etc

Quantify and map costs of action

Policy action to halt losses

Scenario A

Scenario B

From Balmford et al (2008)

Ecosystem Service Valuation

• Growing demand for monetary valuation– Stated preference and revealed preference

• Why?– Facilitate entry of environment into economic and social decision-making– Support decision-making via cost-benefit analysis– Identify allocation of environmental management effort to maximise benefits– Determine damage compensation– Establish price setting (e.g. payment for ecosystem services, entrance

fees)– More generally, contribute to the discussion

££ ££

£

Example monetary valuation

• Value of mudflat loss, N. Devon (Tara Hooper)– Contingent valuation and choice experiment (stated preference)– Create a hypothetical scenario (tidal barrage)– Willingness to pay for mudflat protection (CVM &CE) – Willingness to pay for flood defence and energy production (CE)– Outcome: annual value/household for reduction of impacts on mudflats (CV

£28.17; CE £17.76)

• Underway: – windfarm development (N Hoyle), – management of the Dogger Bank and impact on ecosystem services,– health impacts from use of Cornish coast

Alternative measures of value

• Monetary valuation useful in some circumstances– National Ecosystem Assessment – influenced Natural Environment White

Paper– National ecosystem accounts

• But, problematic– Lack of evidence of use in decision-making– Lack of data for thorough assessment and valuation– Costly– Misinterpretation of findings– Simplification

• What are the alternatives?– Qualitative assessments– Health effects

Qualitative Assessments VALMER – work in progress

Health

• Does living by the coast improve health and wellbeing?– Wheeler et al, 2012 (2001 Census data for England) – Self-reported health increases with residential proximity to coast – Positive effect strengthens with socio-economic deprivation

– White et al, 2013 (BHPS 1991-2008)– Benefits largely when living <5km from the coast– More strongly associated with reductions in e.g. mental distress

– Restorative effects of Plymouth Sound (unpublished, on-going)– Comparison with Central Park– Fresh air, freedom, inspiration, beauty (culture and heritage)– Marked difference in responses

• Findings require caution – health risks associated with the ocean

How can we use this information?

• Substantial natural asset – how use to promote growth?

• Direct route: – Promote education, quality of life– Encourage investment in marine industries and leisure

• Indirect route: What in the ecosystem can be improved?– Water quality and links to Bathing Water Directive– Connectivity: land influences the sea and vice versa– Payment for ecosystem services: Fowey estuary example– Could it work for Plymouth? Need to incorporate industry and public

Conclusions

• Ecosystem services = contributions to well-being

• Complex and difficult to assess

• Valuation comes with many caveats

• Lots of ways to value the environment

– Monetary value is not the only value

• Evidence of health impacts, especially relating to mental health

• How to capitalise on this to support growth and wealth generation?

Thank you