The value of water quality improvements in the region Berlin-Brandenburg

Transcription

1 The value of water quality improvements in the region Berlin-Brandenburg Jürgen Meyerhoff 1, Marco Boeri 2, Volkmar Hartje 1 1) Institute for Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany 2) Gibson Institute for Land, Food and Environment, School of Biological Sciences, Queen s University, Belfast (UK) 7th Sino- German Workshop on Biodiversity Conserva8on July in Shenyang, China

2 Motivation 1. The region of Berlin and Brandenburg struggles to achieve the objectives of the EU-Water Framework Directive until Major obstacles are structural and morphological changes in the rivers and high nutrient loads (e.g., algal blooms occur during summers)

3 Objectives Present study adds to the literature on: a. benefits from improving water quality in the study region => first study in Germany to determine benefits from implementing EU-Water Framework Directive b. spatial distribution of benefits

4 Method Choice experiment was employed to capture non-market value of the public good water quality A population survey was conducted as economics is about peoples preferences Physical assessment is a prerequisite of economic valuation (interdisciplinary project)

5 Study area City of Berlin Rural area of Brandenburg Households in study region: Brandenburg: Berlin:

6 Water quality ladder Quality levels Water quality and recreation Animal and plant species in and around the waters Very good Very clear water Very suitable for swimming and trips with rowing and paddle boats Good Largely clear water Suitable for swimming and trips with rowing and paddle boats Moderate Slightly turbid water In the summer algae blooms can occur Limited suitable for swimming, acceptable for trips with rowing and paddle boats Poor Turbid water In summer large area algal blooms can occur Not suitable for swimming, during trips with rowing and paddle boats the recreational value can be limited Diversity represents an unloaded waters Diversity differs from unloaded waters Fish species that demand a high standard of water quality are rarely present Diversity significantly differs from unloaded waters Fish species that demand a high standard of water quality are rarely present Because of the lack of light are less aquatic plants found There is the risk that due to a lack of oxygen fish kills happen Severely reduced diversity compared to unloaded waters Due to the lack of light aquatic plants are rare There is a high risk that due to a lack of oxygen fish kills happen

7 Berlin-Brandenburg

8 Experimental design Attribute Present quality Quality improvements Untere Havel Poor / Unsatisfactory Moderate Good Very Good Obere Havel Poor / Unsatisfactory Moderate Good Very Good Stadtspree Unsatisfactory/ moderate Moderate Good./. Spree-Köpenick Moderate/ Good./. Good Very Good Dahme- Scharmützelsee Unsatisfactory/ Good Moderate / Good Good Very Good Price ( /year) 0 10 / 25 / 50 / 75 / 100 / 150 Efficient design using results from focus groups as priors (at least the sign) results in 24 choice sets that were blocked into two subgroups so that each respondent faces 12 choice sets

9 Choice set example Respondents could also choose the present situation (no change/zero price) Option 3

10 Two stage survey Phone interview (approx. 15 minutes) Random sample from study region Recreational use and socio-demographics 2,301 interviews were completed Online Interview (approx. 20 minutes) Choice experiment & contingent behaviour 753 respondents completed all choice sets

11 Results

12 Sample Sample drawn from population residence vists

13 Distance to rivers

14 Model results Econometric models (MNL + RPL) show (influence of attribute level changes on probability to choose an alternative): a. Attribute levels influence choices water quality improvements increase probability increase in costs decreases probability b. Distance and state residency c. Swimming and angling d. Income positively e. Status quo effect (some people prefer current situation)

15 Model results

16 Marginal WTP River stretch Quality improvement marginal WTP 95%-CI from to Untere Havel poor/moderate moderate ,16 24,85 Untere Havel poor/moderate good ,55 63,38 Untere Havel poor/moderate very good ,73 75,48 Obere Havel poor/moderate moderate ,35 9,75 Obere Havel poor/moderate good ,84 49,45 Obere Havel poor/moderate very good ,85 52,83 Stadtspree poor/moderate Moderate 9,50 3,92 15,08 Stadtspree poor/moderate good 24,83 20,03 29,64 Spree-Köpenick moderate/good good 27,09 16,97 37,22 Spree-Köpenick moderate/good very good 33,37 28,10 38,64 Dahme poor/good moderate 24,28 14,16 34,41 Dahme poor/good good 45,22 34,60 55,83 Dahme poor/good very good 40,33 34,50 46,16

17 Policy-Scenarios Section in Map Scenario 1 Simply the best Scenario 2 EU-WFD Stretch 1 (a) Very good Good Stretch 2 (b) Very good Good Stretch 3 (c) Good Good Stretch 4 (d) Very good Good Stretch 5 (e) Very good Good

18 Consumer surplus Mean and meadin welfare in Euro per year per preson

19 Aggregated CS Distance considered Distance not considered

20 Conclusions 1. Changes in water quality valued positively; non-market benefits of improved water quality are substantial => 3.8 Billion in 10 years (3% discount rate) 2. Heterogeneity (people are different) is highly significant substantial differences between Berlin and Brandenburg (Berlin higher WTP) distance to river stretches and is important activities influence the value unobserved heterogeneity remains

21 Publication Results are published in: Meyerhoff, J., Boeri, M., Hartje, V.: The value of water quality improvements in the region Berlin- Brandenburg as a function of distance and state residency. Water Resources and Economics 5, 49 66

22 The End J NITROLIMIT was founded by the Federal German Ministry of Research and Educa?on Fkz. 033L041 A- G