www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

Socio-economic benefits of MPAs:how and why to identify, assess and value them?Marianne KettunenSenior Policy Analyst, Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)

18 August 2014

International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC3), Glasgow, Scotland

Picture © Stefan Simis

• The How – how to carry out a socio-economic assessment of MPAs

• The Why – how can assesment of MPA benefits support conservation objectives and sustainable use of natural capital

• Based on Kettunen & ten Brink (2013) Social and Economic Benefits of Protected Areas - Assessment Guide

Content / food for thoughtPicture © IEEP M. Kettunen

Key steps for assessing benefits of MPAs

Picture © S. Simis

• What is the motive for / purpose of assessment ? → This helps to determine scope, methods, communication etc.

• Possible purposes for assessment

– Understanding, awareness and advocacy

– Support to decision-making and management (MPA zoning, optimising benefits from multiple sites etc.)

– Identifying and assessing social impacts (benefits with non-market value, equity between beneficiaries etc.)

– Mobilising funds

Step 1: define your purposePicture © IEEP M. Kettunen

Step 2: understand the basics of ES valuationPicture © IEEP M. Kettunen

A range – or rather a web – of marine / coastal ecosystem services, providing different kinds of benefits …

Step 2: understand the basics of ES valuationPicture © IEEP M. Kettunen

… that lead to different kinds of values !

Step 2: different value indicators

Picture © IEEP M. Kettunen

Quantitative

Qualitative

Monetary

Full range of benefits underpinned by biodiversity

(e.g. yet unknown benefits)

Monetary: market price of products from MPAs,value of carbon storage, avoided costs of water purification etc.

Quantitative: amount of people enjoying products from MPA, volume of stored carbon, volume of purified water etc.

Qualitative: range of various benefits provided by MPA, dependency of people on these benefits etc.

Tip of the iceberg only!Might - or might not - be the icing on the cake ?!

Step 2: geography of benefits & stakeholdersPicture © IEEP M. Kettunen

Pictures © M. KettunenPictures © M. Kettunen

Local benefits of (coastal) MPA:– Food supply and security (fish etc.)– Protection against natural hazards (eg mangroves)– Local community livelihood (fisheries, tourism …)– Purification of coastal water– Etc.

Regional and national benefits:– National food supply and security– Recreation and tourism– National natural & cultural heritage– Etc.

Global benefits: – Carbon storage / sequestration– Global food supply and security (fish etc.)– Recreation and tourism at global level– Etc.

Step 2: aiming for the net benefits Picture © IEEP M. Kettunen

• Scoping assessment provides an overall picture of all benefits and values– Helps to ensure that no benefit is ignored, even if it has no economic

(market) value– Helps to identify existing information and gaps– Overall picture of all stakeholders– Helps to raise awareness and engage stakeholders– Helps to (further) identify the purpose and needs for assessment

• Detailed valuation, inc. resources and focus, easier to determine based on an appropriate scoping study

• Interpretation, use and communication of results

Step 3: approach the assessment in stagesPicture © IEEP M. Kettunen

How assessing MPA benefits supports conservation?

Picture © S. Simis

MPAs & poverty reductionFiji (Navakavu), Solomon Islands (Arnavon Islands), Indonesia (Bunaken) and Philippines (Apo Island)

Socio-economic assessed of MPA benefits (qualitative and quantitative)

• Increased household incomes from new sources of livelihoods, especially tourism

• New governance mechanisms, involving communities in decision-making

• Empowering women economically and also socially • Increased fish catches leading to a greater protein

intake and perceived improvement in children’s health

• MPAs associated with strengthened unity and social cohesion, sense of belonging and cultural traditions

• → local / regional support to MPAs and conservation

Picture © IEEP B. Allen

Source: Leisher et al (2007)

xxxPicture © IEEP B. Allen

Picture © http://www.turismodecastellon.com/107063_en/Columbretes-Islands-Natural-Park/

MPAs & commercial food productionColumbretes Island Marine Reserve (Spain)

Socio-economic assessed of MPA benefits (quantitative)

• Palinurus elephasis is the most commercially important spiny lobster in the Mediterranean and NA

• Over the period of 10 years, MPA, occupying 18% of the regional lobster habitats, was responsible for over 80% of the regional egg production

• After ~ 20 years of protection, regional egg production was 6 times greater than it would have been without the establishment of MPA.

• → local / regional support to MPAs and conservation, given commercial benefits

Source: Díaz et a. (2011) Marine Ecology Progress Series, 433:149-157

xxxPicture © IEEP B. Allen

Picture © http://www.turismodecastellon.com/107063_en/Columbretes-Islands-Natural-Park/

MPAs & job creationTwelve marine Protected areas (MPAs) in southern Europe

Socio-economic assessed of MPA benefits (quantitative and monetary)

• Yearly local incomes generated by the use of MPA amount approximately to €720,000 per MPA in the commercial fishing industry.

• Commercial fishing generates approximately 54 jobs per MPA on average.

• → local / regional support to MPAs and conservation, given employment benefits

Source: Díaz et a. (2011) Marine Ecology Progress Series, 433:149-157

Picture © IEEP B. Allen

• A good, robust, fit-for-purpose assessment

• Interpretation: Providing the right context to the results → ensuring synergies between benefits to people and conservation

• Audience: Identifying target audience for communication and how to reach them → creating support to conservation

• Strategy for use (short and long term): Relevant processes, windows of opportunity for use in decision-making → opportunities and “piggyback rides” for endorsing conservation objectives

• Resources: Ensuring appropriate resources for up-take and implementation of results (inc. in long-term) → resource mobilization for conservation.

Key to success: interpretation, use & communication of results

Picture © IEEP B. Allen

How assessment of MPA benefits can support conservation objectives and sustainable use of natural capital ?

→ It needs to be done right (clear purpose, robust socio-economics, audience, communication etc.)

→ … but “right” does not always mean a monetary valuation

→ There needs to be a link to / take up by MPA management

Convincing, documented evidence exists on MPA benefits – we need equally convincing and documented evidence on the uptake of benefit assessments - and related benefits to / coexistence with - MPA management objectives !

Conclusions

www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

Marianne KettunenSenior Policy Analyst IEEP

mkettunen@ieep.eu

IEEP is an independent, not-for-profit institute dedicated to the analysis, understanding and promotion of policies for a sustainable environment in Europe.

Presentation linked to the work carried out in the context of EU FP7 OPERAs project (http://operas-project.eu/)

Thanks ! Picture © Stefan Simis