Table 1 Examples of the economic values of watershed services
Action | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|
Payments to maintain water purification services in the Catskills watershed, New York avoid the costs of launching a filtration plant for water treatment | Payments for maintaining watershed purification represent 1 to 1.5 billion USD in comparison to the much higher estimated cost of a filtration plant (6–8 billion USD plus 300–500 million USD yearly for operating costs) | |
The cost of removing nitrate contamination from water in Rochester, Minnesota | 2.8-4.8 million USD per year | Hawkins [2003] |
WTP for water quality improvement in the levels of iron, sulphate, hardness, and copper in South-western, Minnesota | 2.4, 2.0, 6.6 and 2.6 million USD yearly respectively (via contingent valuation method) | Hawkins [2003] |
Yearly revenues in public utility resulting from natural water supply in Mud Lake, Minnesota/ South Dakota | 94 USD per acre | Hawkins [2003] |
Annual WTP from residents living close to the Minnesota River for reducing phosphorous levels | 14.1 USD via taxes or 19.6 USD via water bills for a 40% reduction in a nearby river (contingent valuation method) | Hawkins [2003] |
Increased reservoir water quality and surface area in St. Louis, Missouri | Yearly net benefit of 25 million USD (travel cost method) | Hawkins [2003] |
Value of water supply in Milesburg, Pennsylvania | Between 14 and 36 USD per household (avoided cost) | Hawkins [2003] |
In Venezuela, a national protected area system avoids sedimentation | Without the provision of this service by the national protected area, unavoided sedimentation could reduce farmer's income by approximately 3.5 million USD yearly | Pabon-Zamora et al. [2008] |
The current provision of ecosystem services related to existing stream vegetation along the Llobregat River, Spain | 79,000 EUR per year savings in water treatment costs for the residents of Barcelona | Honey-Roses et al. [2013] |
In New Zealand, the value of water provision from the Otago region coming from the Te Papanui Conservation Park | Now it is "free" but would cost 136 million NZDa to bring it in from somewhere else (total benefit of the service) | TEEB [2009] |