Assessment of the economic value of Muthurajawela wetland

The Muthurajawela Marsh is part of an integrated coastal wetland system of high biodiversity and ecological significance. Yet it is subject to intense and growing pressures from urban, residential, recreational and industrial development. The short-term economic gains that have influenced land and resource use decisions have neglected to take into consideration the economic value of wetland goods and services. Number 4 in the series of Occasional Papers of IUCN Sri Lanka, this publication attempts to contribute to an understanding of the economic benefits of wetland conservation and the economic costs of wetland degradation and loss in Muthurajawela.