Effects of Great Barrier Reef Degradation on Recreational Demand: A Contingent Behaviour Approach

Degradation of coral reefs may affect the number of tourists visiting the reef and, consequently, the economic sectors that rely on healthy reefs for their income generation. A Contingent Behaviour approach is used to estimate the effect of reef degradation on demand for recreational dive and snorkel trips, for a case study of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia. We assessed how reef degradation affects GBR tourism and to what extent reef-trip demand depends on the visitors’ socio-economic characteristics. A count data model is developed, and results indicate that an average visitor would undertake about 60% less reef trips per year given a combined 80%, 30% and 70% decrease in coral cover, coral diversity and fish diversity, respectively. This corresponds to a decrease in tourism expenditure for reef trips to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park of about A$ 136 million per year.Coral Reef, Recreation, Contingent Behaviour Model, Count Data Models

Estimating seasonal variations in cloud droplet number concentration over the boreal forest from satellite observations

Seasonal variations in cloud droplet number concentration (NCD) in low-level stratiform clouds over the boreal forest are estimated from MODIS observations of cloud optical and microphysical properties, using a sub-adiabatic cloud model to interpret vertical profiles of cloud properties. An uncertainty analysis of the cloud model is included to reveal the main sensitivities of the cloud model. We compared the seasonal cycle in NCD, obtained using 9 yr of satellite data, to surface concentrations of potential cloud activating aerosols, measured at the SMEAR II station at Hyytiälä in Finland. The results show that NCD and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations have no clear correlation at seasonal time scale. The fraction of aerosols that actually activate as cloud droplet decreases sharply with increasing aerosol concentrations. Furthermore, information on the stability of the atmosphere shows that low NCD is linked to stable atmospheric conditions. Combining these findings leads to the conclusion that cloud droplet activation for the studied clouds over the boreal forest is limited by convection. Our results suggest that it is important to take the strength of convection into account when studying the influence of aerosols from the boreal forest on cloud formation, although they do not rule out the possibility that aerosols from the boreal forest affect other types of clouds with a closer coupling to the surfac

Water resources and spatial planning systems in Portugal: using Ria de Aveiro as a model to explore better synergies

Land use planning is essential to maintain and restore water resources, estuaries and associated ecosystem services, as well as, to prevent and adapt to risks in the face of global change. Land use planning can be used to minimize human pressures and associated impacts on water resources and ecosystems as it can significantly affect the impact of human activities on the water cycle of a region. Through the preparation of spatial plans, land-use control, and the application of planning techniques and approaches, spatial planning can contribute to the implementation of the WFD's 'basic measures'. The way land use and water resources planning systems are articulated is crucial for the mentioned potential. Conceptually, spatial planning and water resources planning systems have been conceived out of different scientific contexts, from different institutional frameworks, and with different spatial boundaries – hence hindering the establishment of bridges between these two systems. Using article 11 of the WFD this paper seeks to assess (i) how the Law on Spatial Planning and Urban Development as well as the Portuguese Water Law converge to promote better integration of water resources into spatial planning (ii) how their prospects are developed at the regional basis,namely through the Water Basin Management Plan and Regional Spatial Plan and, (iii) how these are prepared to inform other planning instruments, such as local plans. The analysis uses the Ria de Aveiro in Central Portugal as a case study. The article concludes with a critical analysis of the integration of the spatial planning and water resources planning systems in Portugal, and aims to reveal new insights and challenges for more productive synergies between these systems

Exploring Environmental-Economic Benefits from Agri-Industrial Diversification in the Sugar Industry: An Integrated Land Use and Value Chain Approach

The sugar industry in Queensland (Australia) is confronted with increasing economic pressure and environmental constraints. To explore whether agri-industrial diversification of the sugar industry provides a sustainable development pathway for the region, we develop a spatial environmental-economic approach that integrates a land use and value chain model with a hydrological model. Results indicate that agri-industrial diversification can lead to substantial increases in regional income, while at the same time increasing the resilience of a sugar industry facing decreasing sugar prices. Agri-industrial diversification drives land use diversification, which under current sugar prices does not lead to a reduction in sugarcane production. Water quality benefits from this land use diversification are mixed, and depend on the economic viability and erosion characteristics of the concerned production systems.spatial economics, environmental economics, value chains, agri-industries, water quality, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, C6, O18, Q13, Q53,

Effects of Great Barrier Reef Degradation on Recreational Demand: A Contingent Behaviour Approach

Agricultural run-off from the Great Barrier Reef catchment area may cause degradation of coral reefs, affecting the tourism sector that relies on healthy reefs for its income generation. A Contingent Behaviour approach is used to determine the effect of reef degradation on demand for recreational dive and snorkel trips, for a case study of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia. We assessed how reef degradation affects GBR tourism and to what extent reef-trip demand depends on the visitors' socio-economic characteristics. A count data model is developed, and results indicate that an average visitor would undertake about 60% less trips to the GBR per year, given a combined 80%, 30% and 70% decrease in coral cover, coral diversity and fish diversity, respectively. This corresponds to a decrease in tourism expenditure for reef trips in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area of about A$ 136 million per year.Coral reef, Recreation, Contingent Behaviour model, Count data models, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q26, Q51, Q57,

Explorando el costo-efectividad de instrumentos basados en el mercado para la mejora de la calidad del agua: una modelación espacial económico-ambiental

El uso agrícola de la tierra en cuencas costeras conduce a la contaminación del agua y degradación subsecuente de recursos costeros y marinos. Para asegurar el desarrollo económico sostenible de las regiones costeras, es necesario balancear los beneficios marginales de la contaminación (agrícola) del agua con los costos marginales asociados a la degradación de los recursos costeros y marinos. La contaminación del agua en cuencas costeras es usualmente considerada una externalidad, por lo que se podrían utilizar Instrumentos Basados en el Mercado (IBMs) para internalizar esta externalidad, de tal forma que el comportamiento del mercado pueda conducir a un máximo bienestar social. Se emplea un acercamiento espacial económico-ambiental que integra un modelo de uso de la tierra con un modelo hidrológico, para explorar el costo-efectividad de varios IBMs en promover la adopción de tecnologías de producción agrícolas para mejorar la calidad del agua. Con base en los costos de disminución, los resultados del estudio de caso demuestran que impuestos y subsidios sobre la emisión de contaminantes son costo-eficientes y, además, más costoefectivos que los impuestos sobre un proxy de emisión y que los impuestos sobre insumos contaminantes. Finalmente, los impuestos sobre insumos contaminantes son dos veces más costo-efectivos que los impuestos sobre un proxy de emisión.Agricultural land use in coastal catchments is shown to lead to (diffuse source) water pollution and subsequent resource degradation in the downstream coastal and marine environment. To ensure sustainable economic development of coastal regions, we need to balance marginal benefits from terrestrial (agricultural) water pollution and associated marginal costs from coastal and marine resource degradation. Water pollution from coastal catchments is, however, considered an externality and, consequently, market-based instruments can be used to internalize this externality such that market behavior could lead to social welfare maximizing outcomes. We employ a spatial environmental-economic modeling approach that integrates a land use model with a hydrological model, to assess the cost-effectiveness of various marketbased instruments in promoting industry adoption of management practices for water quality improvement. Based on abatement costs alone, results from our case-study catchment show that emission based taxes and subsidies are costefficient and more cost-effective than emission proxy taxes and input taxes, while input taxes are more than twice as costeffective as emission proxy taxes

An integrated physical and cost-benefit approach to assess groins as a coastal erosion mitigation strategy

Future investments required for the construction and maintenance of coastal defense interventions are expected to increase, due to increasing coastal erosion issues along social, environmental and economically valuable coastal areas. The high costs related with coastal defense interventions require improved knowledge on their performance, considering impacts, costs and benefits. Despite the existence of several cost-benefit approaches applied to coastal zones, in this study a well-defined, sequential and integrated methodology supported by already existent numerical models is developed and applied to assess the effectiveness (shoreline evolution impacts), costs and benefits of different coastal defense interventions. This methodology encompasses three integrated modules, including a shoreline evolution module (to estimate areas of territory maintained, gained or lost over time), a coastal structure pre-design module (to estimate material volumes of coastal works) and a cost-benefit evaluation module (to assess cost-benefit evaluation criteria). The approach allows for the physical and economic comparison of different coastal defense intervention scenarios, helping coastal management and planning entities to define strategies. In this study, the proposed methodology was applied to evaluate the performance of different groin scenarios, based on a hypothetical case study. The case study allowed highlighting the importance of the physical and economic analysis of different scenarios. Results show that the definition of coastal defense interventions is complex where, on the one hand, best physical solutions are sometimes related to very high costs and, on the other hand, best economic scenarios lead to high territory losses. Thus, the innovative approach presented in this study shows that an integrated analysis of shoreline evolution, coastal intervention design and subsequent costs and benefits allows to improve the physical and economic performances of coastal defense interventions.publishe

The institutionalization of nature-based solutions - a discourse analysis of emergent literature

The European Union quickly incorporated the concept of nature based-solutions (NBS), becoming a key promotor. This was achieved through financial support for both academic research and city implementations. Still, the processes of institutionalization are yet to be fully explored. This study aims at assessing how the scientific literature regarding NBS is addressing institutional aspects and how it is constructing the NBS narrative. This research is divided into two stages. First, it undertakes a quantitative analysis of the discourse, considering a set of preselected search terms organized into five categories: Actor, institutional, planning, policy, and regulation. Second, it adopts a qualitative analysis considering both a group of the most cited articles and of articles highlighted in the previous stage. The results indicate that the NBS concept is still shadowed by other environmental concepts such as ecosystem services. Despite being an issue promoted at the European level, the results of this exercise express the lack of concrete planning and policy recommendations, reflected by the absence of terms such as “planning objectives”. This pattern occurs in all other major categories, being the institutional category the least mentioned of all five categories. The results highlight the need to address both policies and planning recommendations more concretely, studying the institutional arrangements able to promote NBS.publishe