Valuation of ecosystem services of selected mangrove wetlands of Kozhikode
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Date
2020
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Academy of climate climate change education and research, Vellanikkara
Abstract
Mangroves are highly productive ecosystems, have special adaptations to
thrive in saline conditions. The mangrove wetlands are important
ecosystems that render numerous ecosystem services. The major
objectives of the study were to identify the various provisional ecosystem
goods and services and assess the present value of the provisional
services of Kallai and Kolavipalam mangrove wetlands in the Kozhikode
district of Kerala. Kolavipalam (11⁰’56’54”N, 75⁰59’14”E) are known
for their lush growth of mangroves and the breeding ground of Olive
ridley turtles. Kallai (11⁰’14’292”N, 75⁰47’203”E) was one of the most
important centres in the world for timber business and lost its past glory
of mangroves due to faulty land use. This work briefly examines the role
of economic valuation information (includes Willingness To Pay{WTP})
to argue for the conservation of mangroves. Economic information is
valuable to decision-makers for implementing management strategies for
the sustainable and wise use of this ecosystem.To determine the marginal
changes that happen in the in-situ values of mangrove resources, one
needs to understand not only the ecological dynamics of the system but
also the link between human activities and their impacts on the goods and
services provided by the ecosystem, in addition to their economic value.
In this backdrop, a study entitled “Valuation of ecosystem services of
selected mangrove wetlands of Kozhikode district, Kerala” was
undertaken during 2018-19. The direct market price method was used to
assess the valuation of provisional services like fishery, raw materials,etc.
Also, primary and secondary data were used for biodiversity
documentation, socio-economic studies, WTPstudies and to identify the
various issues faced by the local community. Value estimated from the
provisional services is 13,25,900 INR and 71,51,000 INR for
Kolavipalam and Kallai respectively. The willingness of people to pay
for conservation of mangrove ecosystem was also estimated through
interviews with the stakeholders and an annual average WTP value of
122
1,351 INR and 362 INR were recorded for Kolavipalam and Kallai
respectively. The various goods and services provided by the mangroves
were ranked based on the perception of the local community; besides, a
checklist of the diversity of mangroves and the associated faunal
assemblages such as have been prepared. The results of the present study
would be useful to plan suitable management measures for the
conservation and sustainable use of the mangrove wetlands of
Kolavipalam and Kallai.
Description
MSc
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Citation
174869