Search Results (18)

Mangrove ecosystems are vital for coastal protection, fisheries, biodiversity, and local livelihoods, yet they are increasingly threatened by land-use changes, climate impacts, and limited conservation funding. This study investigates how much local communities are willing to pay (WTP) to conserve the Chwaka Bay mangrove forest in Zanzibar. Using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) with a payment card approach, we conducted a structured household survey to assess both monetary contributions and the psychological and socioeconomic factors influencing them. This study is guided by Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), incorporating attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and mangrove knowledge. The results show that 68.2% of respondents are willing to pay for mangrove conservation, while 24.2% are not—mainly due to financial constraints or skepticism about fund use. Key drivers of WTP include perceived ecological and livelihood benefits, environmental awareness, and prior conservation involvement. Statistical validation using the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity confirmed the reliability of the model. The findings demonstrate the value of combining behavioral theory with economic valuation to better understand and support community-based conservation strategies. This approach can inform policymakers in designing targeted, transparent, and inclusive mangrove protection programs. Full article

Coastal blue carbon ecosystems serve as vital carbon sinks in global climate regulation, yet their long-term carbon storage dynamics remain poorly quantified at regional scales. This study quantified the spatiotemporal evolution of mangrove and salt marsh carbon storage in Guangdong Province, China, over three decades (1986–2020), by integrating a new mangrove and salt marsh detection framework based on Landsat image time series and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. The proposed detection framework provided two coastal vegetation detection methods, exploring the potential of utilizing phenological features to improve the mangrove and salt marsh discrimination accuracy with Landsat data. The overall accuracies of both mangrove and salt marsh detection results exceeded 90%, suggesting good consistency with the validation data. The mangrove extent showed a trend of decreasing from 1986 to 1995, then fluctuated from 1995 to 2005, and presented an upward trend from 2005 to 2020. The overall trend of the salt marsh area was upward, with small fluctuations. The mangrove carbon storage in Guangdong increased from 414.66 × 10⁴ Mg C to 490.49 × 10⁴ Mg C during 1986–2020, with Zhanjiang having the largest mangrove carbon storage increase. The salt marsh carbon storage in Guangdong grew from 8.73 × 10⁴ Mg C in 1986 to 14.39 × 10⁴ Mg C in 2020, with Zhuhai as the salt marsh carbon sequestration hotspot. The temporal dynamics of carbon storage in mangroves and salt marshes could be divided into three stages, namely a decreasing period, a fluctuating period, and a rapid increase period, during which ecological and economic policies played a crucial role. The multi-decadal blue carbon datasets and their temporal-spatial change analysis results here can provide a scientific basis for nature-based climate solutions and decision-support tools for carbon offset potential realization and sustainable coastal zone management. Full article

We explored the state of the art economic and livelihood valuation of ecosystem services (ES) in the Sundarbans mangroves, including a comparative analysis between the Bangladesh and Indian parts of the region. We identified 145 values from 26 studies to estimate the Sundarbans’ economic and livelihood values. The number of ES valuation studies of the Sundarbans is scant, and it has gradually increased over time, focusing mainly on the estimation of provisioning ES (66.2%), followed by regulating and maintenance (25.5%), and cultural (8.3%) ES. However, recently, attention has been paid to estimation, regulating and maintenance, and cultural ES. The number of studies on ES was higher for the Bangladesh (73%) part of the Sundarbans than the Indian (27%) one. The estimated economic values of the Sundarbans’ provisioning, regulating and maintenance, and cultural ES were US $ 713.30 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, US $ 2584.46 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, and US $ 151.88 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively. Except for cultural ES, the identified values for the other two ES categories were about 1.5 to 2.5 times higher for the Bangladesh Sundarbans compared to the Indian ones. The results of the meta-regression model showed that the estimated economic and livelihood values of ES are affected by the associated variables (e.g., type of ES, valuation methods, study area, population, and GDP). Our study also identified some remarkable gaps and limitations in the economic and livelihood valuation of the ES of the Sundarbans, highlighting the need for further research to find out the values of all ES to help with policy decision-making. Full article

Mangroves play an important role in providing livelihoods, ecological services, and values to communities in Vietnam. However, mangrove forests are being significantly reduced due to socioeconomic development. This study assessed the awareness of mangrove forests and willingness to pay communities in the buffer zone of Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, Ho Chi Minh City for mangrove conservation. The model used was the contingent valuation method, through surveying 700 households in five communes in the buffer zone of the Biosphere Reserve. The results show that local people have a fairly good awareness of the values of mangroves and are willing to participate in conservation activities for the benefit of their families and future generations. The average WTP of a household is VND 529.6 thousand/year (USD 22) in the parametric model and VND 597.8 thousand/year in the non-parametric model (USD 25). Factors that significantly affect WTP include household income, number of people in the household, education and payment level. The study results provide implications for forest resource management activities in Vietnam, especially the financial mechanism for mangrove conservation with the participation of the community. Full article

Mangroves are brackish wetland ecosystems found in tropical areas. They are highly productive ecosystems that contribute to the economic empowerment of local communities. Proper estimation of their monetary value and the extent of their contribution to rural households’ income, although challenging, is paramount for sustainable management decisions. This study aimed to estimate the total economic wealth earned from mangrove ecosystems in Benin. Specifically, the study assessed the diversity of ecosystem services (ESs) provided by mangroves and the contribution of ESs to the total annual economic value of mangroves, and it identified socio-demographic drivers of the total economic value at the individual informant level. In total, 298 informants from 15 villages were interviewed to determine the diversity of mangrove ESs. The ESs were then gathered per category. Household-level economic values of mangroves, economic values of mangroves per ES category, and total economic value were estimated by combining diverse approaches. The contribution of each category of ES to the total economic value (TEV) was determined. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to describe the relationships between the economic value of categories of ESs. A Linear Mixed Effect Model (LMEM) was used to determine valid socio-demographic drivers of the TEV. Twenty-nine ESs were identified, with regulation and recreation services being the best contributors to annual TEV, which was estimated at USD 1.29 billion (USD 195,223.69/hectare). Stakeholdership followed by household size are the main socio-demographic drivers of TEV. The identified ESs and their estimated economic value can be incorporated into policy briefs and technical sheets to (i) promote ESs for the optimisation of TEV and (ii) raise awareness and funding for the conservation and sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems. Full article

Mangroves are critical to maintaining human well-being and global biodiversity. Eastern and western African shores present major environmental contrasts that reflect on mangrove forests’ structure and the ecosystem services they provide to human communities. This study compares the mangrove forest structure and condition, ecosystem services, and uses of resources in Maputo Bay (Mozambique in eastern Africa) and Príncipe Island (São Tomé and Príncipe in western Africa). Five mangrove species were identified in Maputo Bay, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora mucronata, and Xylocarpus granatum, and the importance value index was higher for A. marina. Mangroves in Príncipe were exclusively dominated by Rhizophora harrisonii. In Maputo Bay, a weak regeneration characterized by a low quantity of seedlings was observed, although in Príncipe the sites were characterized by a low regeneration rate but well-established forests. The comparison of the mangrove structure between Maputo Bay and Príncipe Island presented statistically significant differences for mean DBH and height, whereas the trees in Príncipe presented higher values for both parameters. Strong human disturbance (through cutting) was identified in almost all sites in Maputo Bay but was rarely observed on Príncipe Island. In Maputo Bay, more than 90% of the coastal human community is involved in activities related to the surrounding mangroves, with a diversified exploitation of forest resources. On Príncipe Island, the exploitation of mangroves targets only tannin from the mangrove bark to dye fishing nets and small boats. The economic value of mangroves in Maputo Bay has subsistence and commercial importance, in contrast to Príncipe, which revealed no major economic value to the community. Full article

The disturbance of mangrove forests could affect climate regulation, hydrological cycles, biodiversity, and many other unique ecological functions and services. Proper biomass estimation and carbon storage potential are needed to improve forest reference on biomass accumulation. The establishment of a site-specific allometric equation is crucial to avert destructive sampling in future biomass estimation. This study aimed to develop a site-specific allometric equation for biomass estimation of a mix-mature mangrove forest at Sungai Pulai Forest Reserve, Johor. A stratified line transect was set up and a total of 1000 standing trees encompassing seven mangrove tree species were inventoried. Destructive sampling was conducted using the selective random sampling method on 15 standing trees. Five allometric equations were derived by using diameter at breast height (D), stem height (H), and wood density (ρ) which were then compared to the common equation. Simulations of each allometric equation regarding species were performed on 1000 standing trees. Results showed that the single variable (D) equation provided an accurate estimation, which was slightly improved when incorporated with the H variable. Both D and H variables, however, gave inconsistent results for large-scale data and imbalance of sampled species. Meanwhile, the best fit either for small-scale or large-scale data, as well as for imbalanced sample species was achieved following the inclusion of the ρ variable when developing the equation. Hence, excluding the H variable while including the ρ variable should be considered as an important determinant in mixed mangrove species and uneven-aged stand for aboveground biomass estimation. This valuation can both improve and influence decision-making in forest development and conservation. Full article

Mangrove forests provide a large variety of ecosystem services (ES) to coastal societies. Using a case study focusing on the Ajuruteua peninsula in Northern Brazil and two ES, food provisioning (ES1) and global climate regulation (ES2), this paper proposes a new framework for quantifying and valuing mangrove ES and allow for their small-scale mapping. We modelled and spatialised the two ES from different perspectives, the demand (ES1) and the supply (ES2) side respectively. This was performed by combining worldwide databases related to the global human population (ES1) or mangrove distribution and canopy height (ES2) with locally derived parameters, such as crab catches (ES1) or species-specific allometric equations based on local estimates of tree structural parameters (ES2). Based on this approach, we could estimate that the area delivers the basic nutrition of about 1400 households, which equals 2.7 million USD, and that the mangrove biomass in the area contains 2.1 million Mg C, amounting to 50.9 million USD, if it were paid as certificates. In addition to those figures, we provide high-resolution maps showing which areas are more valuable for the two respective ES, information that could help inform management strategies in the future. Full article

Mangrove forests are paramount for sustaining and enhancing ecosystem services benefitting both local and regional communities, and the global environment. Scholars have long studied the values of ecosystem services of mangrove forests. However, the number of recent primary studies monetizing ecosystem services is rather limited. This paper ascertains the values of ecosystem services of 66 primary valuation studies with a total of 250 observations. The results indicate that the range of values is substantially wide. This range cannot be explained sufficiently by the various differences of the studies, as the explanatory power of the econometric estimations is low. Main influential factors on the values of ecosystem services are the elicitation methods, the types of ecosystem services considered, and the conservation status of the respective mangrove forest as Ramsar site. The results stress the significant economic values of ecosystem services of mangrove forests and the importance for conservation management. However, the results also caution against a direct transfer of benefits between sites. The substantial variety of site and country specifics warrants the implementation of separate, original valuation studies. Full article

Darwin’s mangrove ecosystems, some of the most extensive and biodiverse in the world, are part of the urban fabric in the tropical north of Australia but they are also clearly at risk from the current scale and pace of development. Climate motivated market-based responses, the so-called ‘new-carbon economies’, are one prominent approach to thinking differently about the value of living infrastructure and how it might provide for and improve liveability. In the Australian context, there are recent efforts to promote mangrove ecosystems as blue infrastructure, specifically as blue carbon, but also little recognition or valuation of them as green or urban infrastructure. Drawing on observational and qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews, this study examines how key stakeholders in Darwin frame and understand mangroves in relation to the urban, and how they are anticipating and responding to governance efforts to frame mangroves and pay for their carbon sequestration and storage services as blue carbon. The push for large infrastructure development and an expanding urban footprint, present serious challenges for mangrove protection, and the study evidences both denial and complacency in this regard. However, although the concept of blue carbon is already taking effect in some circles, it was not viewed as straightforward or as appropriate by all study participants and may very well work in practice to exclude groups within the community. Both clear governance problems, as well as unrecognized and vernacular community connections to mangroves in Darwin, indicate that there are ongoing conceptual and empirical challenges to be considered in recognizing and valuing mangroves as part of urban life. Full article

This paper explores how regulation of an open access fishery influences the value of a coastal habitat that serves as breeding and nursery grounds. A model of the fishery supported by a coastal wetland is developed, which includes a quota rule that restricts harvest to a fixed proportion of the current stock. The model is applied to mangrove-dependent shellfish and demersal fisheries in Thailand. The value of the welfare effects associated with a change in a supporting coastal habitat is influenced significantly by whether or not the regulatory quota can adjust in response to these changes. Welfare losses are considerably higher when the quota is fixed as opposed to when it can be adjusted. With the restriction in place, effort cannot change to offset the decline in biomass, and as a result, there is a much larger fall in harvest. In addition, the welfare losses are much larger for the shellfish compared to the demersal fisheries. The analysis illustrates that imposing a regulatory rule on an open access fishery has important implications for valuing any linkage between coastal breeding and nursery habitat and a near-shore fishery. Full article

The complexity of quantifying ecosystem services in monetary terms has long been a challenging issue for economists and ecologists. Many case specific valuation studies have been carried out in various parts of the World. Yet, a coherent review on the valuation of coastal ecosystem services (CES), which systematically describes fundamental concepts, analyzes reported applications, and addresses the issue of climate change (CC) impacts on the monetary value of CES is still lacking. Here, we take a step towards addressing this knowledge gap by pursuing a coherent review that aims to provide policy makers and researchers in multidisciplinary teams with a summary of the state-of-the-art and a guideline on the process of economic valuation of CES and potential changes in these values due to CC impacts. The article highlights the main concepts of CES valuation studies and offers a systematic analysis of the best practices by analyzing two global scale and 30 selected local and regional case studies, in which different CES have been valued. Our analysis shows that coral reefs and mangroves are among the most frequently valued ecosystems, while sea-grass beds are the least considered ones. Currently, tourism and recreation services as well as storm protection are two of the most considered services representing higher estimated value than other CES. In terms of the valuation techniques used, avoided damage, replacement and substitute cost method as well as stated preference method are among the most commonly used valuation techniques. Following the above analysis, we propose a methodological framework that provides step-wise guidance and better insight into the linkages between climate change impacts and the monetary value of CES. This highlights two main types of CC impacts on CES: one being the climate regulation services of coastal ecosystems, and the other being the monetary value of services, which is subject to substantial uncertainty. Finally, a systematic four-step approach is proposed to effectively monetize potential CC driven variations in the value of CES. Full article

Worldwide, damage to mangroves is alarming. Restoration is required to recover mangrove ecosystems, and communities’ involvement is a primary factor to reduce the threat to mangroves. Their participation might be interpreted as the appropriate decision concerning conservation and utilization of mangroves. Using a contingent valuation approach, this study assesses mangroves’ values to local communities through their willingness to contribute labor to obtain monetary value. Results showed that the opportunity cost of time was valued at IDR 398.76 thousand (US$29.99) a month or IDR 4.79 million (US$359.90) per year. A total annual benefit of mangrove restoration using the wage rate of time (WRT) is IDR 143 billion (US$10.77 million) per year. Accessing such information is crucial to making the appropriate decisions about conservation of mangroves within the context of developing countries that have poor coastal communities and low incomes. Tobit regression determined that five variables affect willingness to provide labor time and WRT significantly for mangrove restoration. These findings can support decision-makers with the relevant information for assessing a mangrove restoration project. Full article

Mangroves are recognized as a provider of a variety of products and essential ecosystem services that contribute significantly to the livelihood of local communities. However, over the past decades, mangroves in many tropical areas including the Takalar district, South Sulawesi have degraded and decreased mainly due to conversion to aquaculture. Currently, little is known about the economic benefits of commercialization of aquaculture as compared to those derived from mangroves in the form of products and services. Here, we estimate the Total Economic Value (TEV) of mangrove benefits in order to compare it with the benefit value of commercial aquaculture. Market prices, replacement costs, benefit transfer value and Cost-Benefit Analyses (CBA) have been used for value determination and comparison. The results show that the per year TEV of mangroves in the study area (Takalar district, South Sulawesi) was in the range of 4370 thousands USD (kUSD) to 10,597 kUSD or 4 kUSD to 8 kUSD per hectare (the highest value contribution derived from the indirect use value (94%)), whereas commercial aquaculture had a net benefit value of 228 kUSD or 3 kUSD per hectare. In addition, the comparison of Net Present Value (NPV) between the benefit value of mangroves and that of commercial aquaculture revealed that conversion of mangroves into commercial aquaculture was not economically beneficial when the analysis was expanded to cover the costs of environmental and forest rehabilitation. Full article

Due to increasing recognition of the benefits provided by mangrove ecosystems, protection policies have emerged under both wetland and forestry programs. However, little consistency remains among these programs and inadequate coordination exists among sectors of government. With approximately 123 countries containing mangroves, the need for global management of these ecosystems is crucial to sustain the industries (i.e., fisheries, timber, and tourism) and coastal communities that mangroves support and protect. To determine the most effective form of mangrove management, this review examines management guidelines, particularly those associated with Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). Five case studies were reviewed to further explore the fundamentals of mangrove management. The management methodologies of two developed nations as well as three developing nations were assessed to encompass comprehensive influences on mangrove management, such as socioeconomics, politics, and land-use regulations. Based on this review, successful mangrove management will require a blend of forestry, wetland, and ICZM programs in addition to the cooperation of all levels of government. Legally binding policies, particularly at the international level, will be essential to successful mangrove management, which must include the preservation of existing mangrove habitat and restoration of damaged mangroves. Full article