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ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION DATABASES

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION DATABASES. Koenraad Van Landeghem Principal Economist NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change. “ Don’t you just have those numbers that you can pull out of a drawer? ” Waste Policy Officer. Overview. Valuation databases Envalue EVRI Evaluation of EVRI

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ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION DATABASES

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  1. ENVIRONMENTALVALUATION DATABASES Koenraad Van Landeghem Principal Economist NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change

  2. “Don’t you just have those numbers that you can pull out of a drawer?” Waste Policy Officer

  3. Overview • Valuation databases • Envalue • EVRI • Evaluation of EVRI • Challenges for EVRI • Challenges for DECC

  4. VALUATION DATABASES Usefulness & Purpose: • Consistent reporting of environmental valuation studies • Broadening access to environmental valuations (data poor field) • Identifying studies relevant to user’s policy area • Facilitating benefits transfer

  5. Desirable criteria for Valuation Databases • Contains “local” estimates • Ease of use (useability and access) • Comprehensive • Details about the change being valued, including the characteristics of the natural resource and the base level of environmental quality • Information about the socio-demographics of the population at the site and their environmental preferences • Details about the extent of the market: how far away from the site were respondents identified who still valued the natural resource? • Detailed reporting of the study results • A thorough assessment and reporting of the validity of the study, including discussion of any methodological issues • Details about the precision of value estimates so that reliability can be assessed • Information that can be used to ascertain whether a conservative value estimate was produced for the study. • Allows transfer of functional relationships additional to values [Adapted from Morrison, 2001 & Lantz & Slaney, 2005, etc.]

  6. Environmental Valuation Databases - Overview

  7. http://www.beijer.kva.se/valuebase.htm

  8. Valuation Databases - alternatives

  9. What is Envalue? • Internet database of valuation studies on environment and health: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/envalue/ • Currently, ~ 400 study records or study summaries that can be easily searched • Envalue design facilitates benefits transfer, which is the transfer of values from “study site” to policy site”. • Design of records facilitates matching; quality checks; selecting values • Structured search allows for quick location of studies • Free site – no subscription required

  10. Envalue Records • Records are broken into categories and sub-categories called fields where data and information is entered: • Basic scope of the study • Key Results: currency, year, values • Annotated Bibliography: • Reference • Valuation technique • Socio-economic characteristics • Environmental Good / Service measured • Comments / summary • Evaluation of the study

  11. Envalue

  12. Envalue - Information Reported

  13. Envalue Information Reported (continued)

  14. Envalue - Problems encountered • Cost of software upgrades • Cost of uploading additional studies • Last update (3 articles) in 2006 • Studies becoming out-dated as a result of the above • DECC was looking for an alternative way to provide a similar service to Australians…

  15. Environmental Valuation Reference Inventory (EVRI) EVRI Sponsors:

  16. What is EVRI? • Internet Infobase of valuation studies on environment and health: http//www.evri.ca • Currently, ~ 1,900 study records or study summaries that can be easily searched • EVRI design facilitates benefits transfer, which is the transfer of values from “study site” to policy site”. • Design of records facilitates matching; quality checks; selecting values • Search engines allows for quick location of studies • Free site to U.S., U.K., France, Canada and Australia • Bilingual site

  17. DECC external promotion of EVRI Promote greater Australian use of EVRI • DECC Media Release • Advertisements in various e-newsletters, AARES, DECC etc • Group e-mails to distribution list • Links to EVRI from websites, e.g. libraries, Govt Departments • Conferences: distribute EVRI posters and flyers • Link from ‘Envalue’ entry-page Increase Australian content: • Encouraging Australian authors to up-load their articles to EVRI • List of relevant Australian literature sent to Environment Canada for consideration • DECC evaluation will identify potential for increased relevance to Australian users

  18. EVRI Records • Records are broken into categories and sub-categories called fields where data and information is entered: • Study Reference • Study Area and Population • Environmental Focus of Study • Study Methods • Estimated Values • Abstract

  19. EVRI Database Breakdown

  20. EVRI – information reported

  21. EVRI – information reported (cont’d)

  22. EVRI – information reported (cont’d)

  23. Evaluation of EVRI and Envalue DECC’s activities: • Literature Review • Cost-Benefit Analysis • Web-statistics • Australian user survey Monthly Visits to Envalue website minus Monthly visits to EVRI website [NB: visits to ‘EVRI’ justinclude Australian visitors, whereas visits to ‘Envalue’ also include international visitors] Monthly visits to EVRI websiteby Australians

  24. Evaluation of EVRI (cont’d) Environment Canada’s activities: • Independent 3rd Party Review • Australian Representative on EC’s Evaluation Committee • User perception of EVRI & potential for improvement US visits to EVRI average about 4000 per month

  25. Challenges for EVRI • Improved reporting • Access to original studies • Range of available studies • Member countries • Objectives of EC • Facilitate benefits transfer • Capture more valuation studies • Keep database content current • Market and distribute to promote benefits transfers in as many countries as possible.

  26. Challenges to DECC / Australia • More Australian studies • Limitation to Australian Policy relevance • Slow progress in uploading further studies • International Benefits Transfer (limitation?) • Continued funding

  27. Articles Reviewing Valuation Databases • Navrud, S., Vagnes, M., (2000), Assessment of EVRI and the Expansion of its Coverage to the EU, Report to the European Comission, DG, XI. • Morrison 2001, Non-market Valuation Databases: How Useful Are They?, Economic Analysis and Policy, v. 31, Iss. 1, pp. 33-56 • Van Lantz & Greg Slaney 2005, An Evaluation of Environmental Valuation Databases around the World, Presented at workshop in Washington entitled “Benefits Transfer and Valuation Databases: Are We Heading in the Right Direction?” • White, J., 2005, Envalue and Benefits Transfer in Australia, [Washington workshop]. • McComb, Lantz, Nash & Rittmaster, 2006, International valuation databases: Overview, methods and operational issues, Ecological Economics, 60, pp. 461-472 • Villa, Ceroni, & Krivov, 2007, Intelligent Databases Assist Transparent and Sound Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services, Environmental Management, Vol. 39 Issue 6, p887-899

  28. Valuation Databases • EVRI – http://www.evri.ca • Envalue - http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/envalue/ • Ecosystem Services Database (ESD) - http://esd.uvm.edu/ • Review of Externality Database (RED) - http://www.red-externalities.net/ • New Zealand Non Market Valuation Database - http://oldlearn.lincoln.ac.nz/markval/ • ValuebaseSwe - http://www.beijer.kva.se/valuebase.htm • Beneficial Use Values Database - http://buvd.ucdavis.edu/buvd/index.htm • EconPapers - http://econpapers.repec.org/ • Biodiversity Economics - http://www.biodiversityeconomics.org/ • Environmental & Cost Benefit Analysis News - http://envirovaluation.org/

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