Benefit transfer: testing for accuracy and reliability

Bergland, Olvar; Magnussen, Kristin; Navrud, Ståle

doi:10.4337/9781781008102.00017

Cited by 48 publications

(53 citation statements)

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“…This explains why many environmental agencies in the world are attracted to this method of collecting data [8]. For instance, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests the application of benefit transfer in its guidelines for CBA [9].…”

Section: The Methodology Of Benefit Transfermentioning

confidence: 99%

The (in)validity of benefit transfer and its consequences for policy-making

Bos¹,

Vleugel²

2007

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, Vol 106

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The essence of benefit transfer is that the assessment of ecological effects of an intended project is based on information from similar studies, undertaken at other sites. Instead of performing a completely new study, which may cost a lot of time and money, key parameters from older studies are used. This approach is assumed to save valuable research time and money. In the paper it will be shown that this benefit may occur at the expense of the validity of assessments. Using these assessments for the new project may result in sub-optimal decision-making by governments and other stakeholders, like private landowners. The paper contains a meta-analysis on the validity of benefit transfer. The two basic types of benefit transfer, simple benefit transfer and benefit function transfer are being compared. It turns out that the validity of simple benefit transfer is often poor even when applied at comparable sites. This raises the question whether simple benefit transfer should be used to support policy-making regarding investment scenarios of national importance. It may be better to use benefit function transfer as an alternative, because it can compensate for differences in explanatory variables. In this way, the validity of the assessment can be increased, which may lead to 'better' decisions, provided that suitable benefit functions are available.

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Section: The Methodology Of Benefit Transfermentioning

confidence: 99%

The (in)validity of benefit transfer and its consequences for policy-making

Bos¹,

Vleugel²

2007

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, Vol 106

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“…In the previous section we have pointed out that a subset of cumulated knowledge seems to be more proper for the application of value transfer. Returning to the ceteris paribus condition, especially Bergland et al (1995) have made a serious attempt to approach a situation of ceteris paribus conditions in their study. Thereto they have undertaken a direct test of the value transfer approach by conducting two parallel and similar CV studies concerning water quality.…”

Section: Value Transfer: Ceteris Paribus Condition and Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In case of (ii), the mean value is corrected for the differences in characteristics among the study and the policy site, before it is transferred; see Bergland et al (1995) for more details.…”

Section: The Basics Of Value Transfermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular in environmental economic research, a direct test on value transfer by conducting two parallel case-studies with the aim to derive non-market values and to compare these with the results obtained via value transfer has been undertaken by several researchers; see Bergland et al (1995), Kirchhoff et al (1997) and Bateman et al (1995). Beside the casestudy approach adopted inter alia by Bergland et al (1995) to derive the required values for value transfer purposes, also meta-analysis can be used to obtain estimations of non-market values. In this context we refer also to e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In search of valid results in a complex economic environment: The potential of meta-analysis and value transfer

Bal

Nijkamp

2001

European Journal of Operational Research

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The rapidly increasing dissemination of scientific results exhibits features of complex systems and brings also to light (seemingly) inconsistencies among research findings. At the same time, there is a fast growing interest in comparative studies and related research tools such as metaanalysis and value transfer. Recently, several studies have been published in the economic literature with the aim to test the performance of value transfer in a direct way. The results from previously independently undertaken studies are then compared with the results generated by value transfer: one of the independent studies is chosen as a study site and serves as a benchmark for value transfer, while the other site is treated as the policy site. Distinct studies show that the values obtained for the policy site via value transfer do not necessarily comply with the results obtained from the independently undertaken study at that site. This paper will offer a critical methodological contribution to the discovery of sources of difficulties underlying the application of value transfer and the creation of new knowledge. The paper offers new insights by considering value transfer in the light of modern quantitative economic analysis as well as a formal framework for the applicability of value transfer in economic research. Throughout the paper, simple cases will serve as illustrations for our arguments.

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“…These issues will require concerted action and high degrees of collaboration between the natural and social sciences. 44 Examples of value transfers (sometimes called benefit transfers although this is confusing as these techniques can also be applied to costs) and related meta-analyses for environmental goods include Barton, 2002;Bateman et al, 2009dBateman et al, , 2010bBateman and Jones, 2003;Bergland et al, 1995;Brouwer, 2000;Brouwer and Spaninks, 1999;Carson et al, 1996;Desvousges et al, 1992;Downing and Ozuna, 1996;Johnstone and Duke, 2009;Johnston et al, 2005Johnston et al, , 2006Leon-Gonzalez and Scarpa, 2008;Lindhjem and Navrud, 2008;Moeltner et al, 2007;Muthke and Holm-Mueller, 2004;Navrud and Ready, 2007;Ready et al, 2004;TEEB, 2009;Zandersen et al, 2007. 45 Transfer databases such as The Environmental Valuation Reference Inventory (EVRI, available at www.evri.ca) have been developed to assist the search process for such applications.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic analysis for ecosystem service assessments

Bateman

Mace

Fezzi

et al. 2014

Valuing Ecosystem Services

135

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Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. The paper seeks to contribute to the expanding literature on ecosystem service assessment by considering its integration with economic analyses of such services. Focussing upon analyses for future orientated policy and decision making, we initially consider a single period during which ecological stocks are maintained at sustainable levels. The flow of ecosystems services and their contribution to welfare bearing goods is considered and methods for valuing resultant benefits are reviewed and illustrated via a case study of land use change. We then broaden our time horizon to discuss the treatment of future costs and benefits. Finally we relax our sustainability assumption and consider economic approaches to the incorporation of depleting ecological assets with a particular focus upon stocks which exhibit thresholds below which restoration is compromised. Terms of use: Documents in

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Benefit transfer: testing for accuracy and reliability

Cited by 48 publications

References 0 publications

The (in)validity of benefit transfer and its consequences for policy-making

The (in)validity of benefit transfer and its consequences for policy-making

In search of valid results in a complex economic environment: The potential of meta-analysis and value transfer

Economic analysis for ecosystem service assessments

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