Assessing the role of economic instruments in a policy mix for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services provision : a review of some methodological challenges

In this paper we review a number of methodological challenges of evaluating and designing economic instruments aimed at biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services provision in an existing policy mix. In the context of the EU 2010 goal of halting biodiversity loss, researchers have been called upon to evaluate the role of economic instruments for cost-effective decision-making, as well as non-market methods to assess their benefits. We argue that cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and non-market valuation (NMV) methods are necessary, but not sufficient, approaches to assessing the role of economic instruments in a policy mix. We review the principles of "social-ecological systems" (SES) [1] and discuss how SES can complement economic cost and benefit assessment methods, in particular in policy design research. To illustrate our conceptual comparison of assessment methodologies, we look at two examples of economic instruments at different government levels - payments for ecosystem services (PES) at 14 farm level and ecological fiscal transfers to municipal /county government. Which policy design issues can cost-effectiveness analysis and non-market valuation methods address for these two instruments? What conceptual problems are introduced when evaluating policies in an instrument mix? How can the SES framework complement CEA and NMV in policy assessment and design? We draw on experiences from Brazil and Costa Rica to exemplify these questions. We conclude with some research propositions.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	46997 Barton, David N. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Noruega, 110849 Ring, Irene (autor/a) UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany, 114143 Rusch, Graciela M. (autor/a) Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Noruega, 92004 May, Peter (autor/a) Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, DeClerck, Fabrice A. J. CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica 61747, 128809 Vignola, Raffaele (autor/a) CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica, 129623 Vivan, Jorge Luis (autor/a) Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 43071 Ansink, Erik (autor/a) Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 126244 Unnerstall, Herwig (autor/a) UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany, 116243 Santos, Rui (autor/a) New University of Lisbon, Portugal, 79515 Ibrahim, Muhammad (autor/a) CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica, 39493 ... [y otros 6]
Format:	Texto biblioteca
Language:	eng
Published:	[Lugar de publicación no identificado] : POLICYMIX , 20
Subjects:	CONSERVACION DE LA DIVERSIDAD BIOLOGICA, ECOSISTEMA, INCENTIVOS, POLITICAS, ECONOMETRIA, INSTRUMENTOS DE MEDICION, ANALISIS DE COSTOS Y BENEFICIOS, METODOLOGIA, EVALUACIÓN, ACTIVIDADES ECONÓMICAS, SERVICIOS ECOSISTEMICOS,
Online Access:	http://repositorio.bibliotecaorton.catie.ac.cr/bitstream/handle/11554/8242/Assessing_the_role_of_economic_instruments.pdf http://hdl.handle.net/11554/8242
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