GNF - Economic value of Lakes and Wetlands
 

Economic Value of Lakes and Wetlands

 

Study: Economic Value of Lakes and Wetlands (July 2013)

 

Background

Ecosystem services have numerous characteristics that are of public value. Because of this, the public and private sector use them without remuneration or offsetting. In the past years, the discussion of the contribution of ecosystems and their value for the economy and public especially has picked up, in part because of the “The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity” (TEEB) study. The goal is to inform companies, local governments and the public of the value of the ecosystem services of lakes and wetlands, thereby promoting their preservation. The project should contribute to the current political and scientific discussion on the valuation of ecosystem services using the example of lake regions.

Goals and Purposes

To do this, a complete survey of ecosystem services of lakes needs to be made. In addition to this, it will be shown how companies and the public can profit from these services as well as how private industry possibilities can contribute to the preservation of lakes. This general assessment is supplemented by a concrete case study of Lake Constance. This project is implemented in cooperation with the Forestry College Rottenburg and sponsored by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the Federal Environmental Agency.

Project Partners

  • Application and over-all coordination: Global Nature Fund
  • Project partner: HFR - University of Applied Forest Sciences Rottenburg
  • Additonal experts: Lake Constance Foundation and Institute for Limnological Research from the LUBW based in Langenargen (ISF)
 Studie: Ökonomischer Wert von Seen und Feuchtgebieten
 Der Bodensee - Trinkwasserspeicher, Naturraum und Ort der Freizeitgestaltung

Project Partners:

Supported by:

 Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) as well as Federal Environmental Agency (UBA)
 
 

Project Duration:

 

Project Partner:

 

 

Supported by:

December 2012 – March 2013

 

Lake Constance Foundation, University of Applied Forest Sciences Rottenburg (HFR)

 

German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA)