Cultural Bequest Values for Ecosystem Service Flows Among Indigenous Fishers: A Discrete Choice Experiment Validated with Mixed Methods

50 Pages Posted: 31 Oct 2014

See all articles by Kirsten Oleson

Kirsten Oleson

University of Hawaii Manoa

Michele Barnes

ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University

Luke M. Brander

Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM)

Thomas Oliver

University of Hawaii

Ingrid van Beek

Wageningen University and Research (WUR)

Bienvenue Zafindrasilivonona

Blue Ventures

Pieter van Beukering

VU University Amsterdam - Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM)

Date Written: October 29, 2014

Abstract

Perhaps the most understudied ecosystem services are related to socio-cultural values tied to non-material benefits arising from human-ecosystem relationships. Bequest values linked to natural ecosystems can be particularly significant for indigenous communities whose livelihoods and cultures are tied to ecosystems. Here we apply a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to determine indigenous fishers’ preferences and willingness-to-pay for bequest gains from management actions in a locally managed marine area in Madagascar, and use our results to estimate an implicit discount rate. We validate our results using a unique rating and ranking game and other mixed methods. We find that bequest is highly valued and important; respondents were willing to pay a substantial portion of their income to protect ecosystems for future generations. Through all of our inquiries, bequest emerged as the highest priority, even when respondents were forced to make trade-offs among other livelihood-supporting ecosystem services. This study is among a relative few to quantify bequest values and apply a DCE to model trade-offs, value ecosystem service flows, and estimate discount rates in a developing country. Our results directly inform coastal management in Madagascar and elsewhere by providing information on the socio-cultural value of bequest in comparison to other ecosystem service benefits.

Keywords: cultural ecosystem services, bequest value, discrete choice experiment, discount rate, economic valuation, Madagascar

JEL Classification: Q20

Suggested Citation

Oleson, Kirsten and Barnes, Michele and Brander, Luke M. and Oliver, Thomas and van Beek, Ingrid and Zafindrasilivonona, Bienvenue and van Beukering, Pieter, Cultural Bequest Values for Ecosystem Service Flows Among Indigenous Fishers: A Discrete Choice Experiment Validated with Mixed Methods (October 29, 2014). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2516507 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2516507

Kirsten Oleson (Contact Author)

University of Hawaii Manoa ( email )

United States

HOME PAGE: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~koleson

Michele Barnes

ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University ( email )

Townsville, Queensland 4811
Australia

Luke M. Brander

Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) ( email )

De Boelelaan 1115
Amsterdam, 1081 HV
Netherlands

Thomas Oliver

University of Hawaii ( email )

Honolulu, HI 96822
United States

Ingrid Van Beek

Wageningen University and Research (WUR) ( email )

Hollandseweg 1
Wageningen, 6706KN
Netherlands

Bienvenue Zafindrasilivonona

Blue Ventures ( email )

Level 2 Annex, Omnibus Business Centre
39-41 North Road
London, N7 9DP
United Kingdom

Pieter Van Beukering

VU University Amsterdam - Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) ( email )

De Boelelaan 1115
Amsterdam, 1081 HV
Netherlands
+ 31 20 444 9555 (Phone)
+ 31 20 444 9553 (Fax)

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