The Benefits of Improvements in Coastal Water Quality: A Contingent Approach

Evaluating the multiple benefits of marine water quality improvements: how important are health risk reductions?

“…For an estimated average number of 5 yearly visits per user to`bad' quality beaches, this yields a WTP per person and per season of about 9600 PTE (US$ 54Á8). This ®nding corresponds to about 0Á6% of per capita GNP and hence is within the same order of magnitude as those results reported elsewhere in the literature (Bockstael et al, 1987;Choe et al, 1996;Feenberg and Mills, 1980;Georgiou et al, 1998;Le Goffe, 1995).…”

“…There, the appearance of unpleasant-looking mucilage produced by the decay of algae caused a 40% reduction in tourism in that year's bathing season (WHO, 1995). A number of studies have provided a wide range of estimates of the value that beach users place on water quality changes, typically ranging from $4 to $39 per person (Bockstael et al, 1987;Choe et al, 1996;Feenberg and Mills, 1980;Georgiou et al, 1998;Le Goffe, 1995). This disparity valuation method used; the pollution indicators adopted; the percentage quality improvement that is being valued; and the units (of environmental improvement) to which values refer.…”

Valuing algal bloom in the Black Sea Coast of Bulgaria: A choice experiments approach

“…Le Goffe (1995) investigated the costs of eutrophication, using a contingent valuation study to measure the benefits of reducing eutrophication in coastal waters near Brest, France. The survey, which was administered to over 600 Brest residents, elicited information for two goods: local pollution problems from microbes (including bathing and shellfish impacts) and local pollution from high concentrations of nutrients in the harbour and its consequences for the marine ecosystem.…”

Assessing Non-market Benefits of Seagrass Restoration in the Gulf of Gdańsk

“…When it comes to benefits of the coastal environment that are not traded in markets, the contingent valuation method (Carson and Hanemann, 2005) has been used to value changes in water quality (Freeman, 1995) and environmental damage caused by eutrophication (Le Goffe, 1995 andMarkowska andŻylicz, 1999). Despite the lack of stated preference studies focusing exclusively on seagrass, a considerable number of studies value one or more of the non-market benefits investigated in the present study.…”