IUCN, Ecosystem and Livelihoods Group, Asia

Increasing incidence and intensity of natural disasters and climate change are having over-arching impacts on the environment. Sustainable development is being undermined. Ecological services and their indirect economic values are frequently omitted from assessments. Mainstreaming ecosystem concerns – both ecological and economical – and integrating them into disaster management is essential.

This technical report uses the framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment to extend awareness on the value of coastal ecosystems, their products and services for human well-being (i.e. livelihood security and development benefits) and shows how economic valuation of coastal ecosystem services can be a valuable tool for conservation managers and development decision-makers. It presents case studies from Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Seagrass meadows and sand dunes are lesser known coastal ecosystems that are located landward from coral reefs and sometimes seaward from mangroves. (At other times mangroves lie between seagrasses and sand dunes.) These ecosystems are also important for coastal communities because of the services they provide and are critical components of a vital, interdependent and interconnected series of coastal ecosystems.

Corals are a vital component of marine ecosystems. They provide food and protection for a huge variety of fish and marine life; are crucial to sustaining livelihoods among coastal populations; and a key mechanism for ensuring the protection of low-lying coastal areas. Despite their importance, the world’s coral reefs are being destroyed and disappearing at an alarming rate.

Mangroves are among the most important ecosystems on the planet. They provide food and protection for a huge variety of marine and land-based species, sustain livelihoods of coastal populations, and provide protection from ocean swell and extreme weather events. Today, however, the world’s mangroves are under threat from several sources including coastal development and the impacts of climate change.

This paper addresses the need to factor the environment into coastal development planning. It contends that the economic calculations that underpin coastal development decisions remain flawed, and fundamentally incomplete, because they omit an important set of costs and benefits – those associated with ecosystem goods and services.

This book presents the economic justification for including mangrove rehabilitation and restoration efforts in current tsunami reconstruction projects in Sri Lanka. The results provide a solid platform for the decision makers to select the best development strategies for the tsunami-affected communities by comparing the results provided by this study with the value of alternative uses of mangroves in these areas.

With increasing demands on the water of the Pangani River Basin, coupled with a decreasing catchment runoff due to climate change, water resources are becoming increasingly scarce, and leading to conflicts among users.