The Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services of Biodiversity Components in Protected Areas: A Review for a Framework of Analysis for the Gargano National Park

Domenico Pisani, Pasquale Pazienza, Enrico Vito Perrino, Diana Caporale and Caterina De Lucia
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Domenico Pisani: Department of Economics, Management and Territory, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy
Pasquale Pazienza: Department of Economics, Management and Territory, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy
Enrico Vito Perrino: CIHEAM, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Italy
Diana Caporale: Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP), University of Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
Caterina De Lucia: Department of Economics, Management and Territory, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 21, 1-19

Abstract: Protected areas play an important role in the conservation and protection of biodiversity of particular territories, especially of ecosystems that provide resources for living organisms, including human beings. Different studies highlight the importance of biodiversity and its associated benefits in terms of ecosystem services of protected areas. The economic assessment of ecosystem services and biodiversity becomes a viable solution to help the policy maker to make decisions on the environmental preservation of these areas according to the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Nonetheless, very few studies provide an economic evaluation of the benefits of protected areas. To advance the current debate on the economic evaluation of the benefits provided by protected areas, the present paper purposes an integrated approach. It presents an overview of main ecosystem services’ mapping techniques currently available to researchers and policy makers and offers a systematic review carried out for the period 2015–2020 at an international level. The main findings are particularly attractive for the Gargano National Park (GNP) in the south of Italy, which is recognised as being a biodiversity hot spot at global level. The current study provides useful guidance for the assessment of trade-offs, the support to policy makers, and the provision of efficient allocation of public resources for protected areas.

Keywords: ecosystem services; environmental valuation; biodiversity conservation; Gargano National Park (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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