Ramsar Archives

Economic Valuation of Wetlands -- THE BOOK!

(23 May 1997)

Seems like it took forever . . . . . . but here it is, and worth gripping the edges of our chairs for! The long-awaited book on economic valuation of wetlands, in partial fulfilment of Recommendation 6.10 from Brisbane, has finally hit the news stands.

Written by Edward Barbier, Mike Acreman, and Duncan Knowler, this 138-page handbook outlines the needs for, and benefits of, economic valuation techniques as applied to wetlands and development projects intended to alter them, and describes a few of these techniques in some detail. A number of case studies, a glossary, and a 10-page bibliography increase the importance of this book for theoreticians and practical managers alike. It sports a fine under-stated cover design by L'IV Communications, which may make you want to tear the cover off, frame it, and hang it on your rec room wall next to the Time Magazine man-of-the-year cover portraits.

Check out this replica of the Table of Contents:

Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Preface
Executive summary
1. Background to the global wetlands management problem
1.1 Definition of wetlands
1.2 Types of wetland
1.3 Importance of wetlands
1.4 Wetland loss
1.5 The role of Ramsar in wetland conservation
2. Why valuation?
2.1 The role of economic valuation in decision-making
2.2 The economic values of wetlands
2.3 Why wetland resources and systems are undervalued in development decisions
2.4 Why valuation matters to Ramsar
3. An appraisal framework for wetland valuation
3.1 Stage one: defining the problem and assessment approach
3.2 Stage two: defining the scope and limits of the valuation and information needs
3.3 Stage three: defining data collection methods and valuation techniques required for the economic appraisal
4. Valuation in practice
4.1 Hadejia-Nguru floodplain in Northern Nigeria
4.2 Valuing prairie wetlands in North America: application of a bioeconomic model
4.3 Contingent valuation and wetlands in the UK
4.4 Valuing nitrogen abatement using Swedish wetlands
4.5 Valuing coastal wetlands in the southeast USA
4.6 Valuation and mangrove conservation in Indonesia
4.7 Conclusions from the case studies
5. Guidance Notes: the practicalities of planning and conducting a valuation study
5.1 A step by step guide to undertaking a valuation study
5.2 Resources required for a valuation study
5.3 The valuation study team and sample Terms of Reference
5.4 Non-economic factors
5.5 Conservation of rare species
6. Recommendations
6.1 Economic valuation studies
6.2 Interdisciplinary collaboration
6.3 Training and institutional capacity building
6.4 Research
6.5 Networking
7. Glossary
8. Sources and further reading
Appendices
1. Wetland components, functions and attributes and their human uses
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Components
1.3 Functions
1.4 Attributes
2. Comparison of economic appraisal methods
3. Advantages and disadvantages of valuation techniques used in the economic appraisal of wetlands

You're right, it's all there. And you can order it, right now if you want to, for UK sterling 17.50 or US$ 26.25, from

BTW, we also have a colorful 3-ply A4 brochure by the same authors, called Economic Valuation of Wetlands: Key Concepts for Policy Makers and Planners, funded by the Government of Japan, which you can have for free from the Bureau -- it summarizes many of the most important points in the book, especially for those who haven't time to read through the slender volume itself.

Here is a list of the institutions that participated in the production of this handbook:

The Ramsar Bureau, of course;
the University of York (UK), Dept of Environmental Economics & Environment Management;
the Institute of Hydrology (UK);
IUCN-The World Conservation Union;
the UK Department of the Environment; and
the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

For further information, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@hq.iucn.org). Posted 23 May 1997, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.