IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecolec/v130y2016icp16-24.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Quantifying flood mitigation services: The economic value of Otter Creek wetlands and floodplains to Middlebury, VT

Author

Listed:
  • Watson, Keri B.
  • Ricketts, Taylor
  • Galford, Gillian
  • Polasky, Stephen
  • O'Niel-Dunne, Jarlath

Abstract

Functioning ecosystems can buffer communities from many negative impacts of a changing climate. Flooding, in particular, is one of the most damaging natural disasters globally and is projected to increase in many regions. However, estimating the value of “green infrastructure” in mitigating downstream floods remains a challenge. We estimate the economic value of flood mitigation by the Otter Creek floodplains and wetlands to Middlebury, VT, for Tropical Storm Irene and nine other floods. We used first principles to simulate hydrographs for scenarios with and without flood mitigation by upstream wetlands and floodplains. We then mapped flood extents for each scenario and calculated monetary damages to inundated structures. Our analysis indicates damage reductions of 84–95% for Tropical Storm Irene and 54–78% averaged across all 10 events. We estimate that the annual value of flood mitigation services provided to Middlebury, VT, exceeds $126,000 and may be as high as $450,000. Economic impacts of this magnitude stress the importance of floodplain and wetland conservation, warrant the consideration of ecosystem services in land use decisions, and make a compelling case for the role of green infrastructure in building resilience to climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Watson, Keri B. & Ricketts, Taylor & Galford, Gillian & Polasky, Stephen & O'Niel-Dunne, Jarlath, 2016. "Quantifying flood mitigation services: The economic value of Otter Creek wetlands and floodplains to Middlebury, VT," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 16-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:130:y:2016:i:c:p:16-24
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.05.015
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092180091630595X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.05.015?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. R. Turner, 2007. "Limits to CBA in UK and European environmental policy: retrospects and future prospects," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 37(1), pages 253-269, May.
    2. Turner, R. Kerry & van den Bergh, Jeroen C. J. M. & Soderqvist, Tore & Barendregt, Aat & van der Straaten, Jan & Maltby, Edward & van Ierland, Ekko C., 2000. "Ecological-economic analysis of wetlands: scientific integration for management and policy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 7-23, October.
    3. Canós, José H. & Borges, Marcos R.S. & Penadés, Ma Carmen & Gómez, Abel & Llavador, Manuel, 2013. "Improving emergency plans management with SAGA," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(9), pages 1868-1876.
    4. de Groot, Rudolf S. & Wilson, Matthew A. & Boumans, Roelof M. J., 2002. "A typology for the classification, description and valuation of ecosystem functions, goods and services," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 393-408, June.
    5. Ming, Jiang & Xian-guo, Lu & Lin-shu, Xu & Li-juan, Chu & Shouzheng, Tong, 2007. "Flood mitigation benefit of wetland soil -- A case study in Momoge National Nature Reserve in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(2-3), pages 217-223, March.
    6. Farber, Stephen C. & Costanza, Robert & Wilson, Matthew A., 2002. "Economic and ecological concepts for valuing ecosystem services," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 375-392, June.
    7. Fisher, Brendan & Turner, R. Kerry & Morling, Paul, 2009. "Defining and classifying ecosystem services for decision making," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 643-653, January.
    8. Mitsch, William J. & Gosselink, James G., 2000. "The value of wetlands: importance of scale and landscape setting," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 25-33, October.
    9. Jack Knetsch, 2005. "Gains, Losses, and the US-EPA Economic Analyses Guidelines: A Hazardous Product?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 32(1), pages 91-112, September.
    10. ., 2013. "Adaption, emergence and evolution," Chapters, in: The Rediscovery of Classical Economics, chapter 4, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. ., 2013. "The emergence of strategic partnerships," Chapters, in: Strategic Public Private Partnerships, chapter 1, pages 3-19, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Pattison-Williams, John K. & Pomeroy, John W. & Badiou, Pascal & Gabor, Shane, 2018. "Wetlands, Flood Control and Ecosystem Services in the Smith Creek Drainage Basin: A Case Study in Saskatchewan, Canada," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 36-47.
    2. Karwowski, Nicole & Skidmore, Marin, 2023. "Nature’s Kidneys: the Role of the Wetland Reserve Program in Restoring Water Quality," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335440, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Seung Kyum Kim & Paul Joosse & Mia M. Bennett & Terry Gevelt, 2020. "Impacts of green infrastructure on flood risk perceptions in Hong Kong," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(4), pages 2277-2299, October.
    4. Ray, Srabashi, 2023. "Adoption analysis of edge-of-field treatment wetlands in the Corn-Soy belt of the US: Application of TOA-MD and SIMPLE model coupling," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335675, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Christine Carmichael & Cecilia Danks & Christine Vatovec, 2019. "Green Infrastructure Solutions to Health Impacts of Climate Change: Perspectives of Affected Residents in Detroit, Michigan, USA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-15, October.
    6. Karwowski, Nicole, 2023. "The Effects of Wetland Easements on Agricultural Yields," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335462, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Krzysztof Kud, 2018. "Biomasa lak legowych jako integrator polityki energetycznej, przestrzennej oraz wodnej (Biomass of riparian meadows as an integrator of energy policy, spatial and water)," Research Reports, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 2(28), pages 80-89.
    8. Seung Kyum Kim, 2020. "The Economic Effects of Climate Change Adaptation Measures: Evidence from Miami-Dade County and New York City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-19, February.
    9. Sonter, Laura J. & Johnson, Justin A. & Nicholson, Charles C. & Richardson, Leif L. & Watson, Keri B. & Ricketts, Taylor H., 2017. "Multi-site interactions: Understanding the offsite impacts of land use change on the use and supply of ecosystem services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 158-164.
    10. Rebecca M Diehl & Jesse D Gourevitch & Stephanie Drago & Beverley C Wemple, 2021. "Improving flood hazard datasets using a low-complexity, probabilistic floodplain mapping approach," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(3), pages 1-20, March.
    11. Yun Tang & Arturo S. Leon & M. L. Kavvas, 2020. "Impact of Dynamic Storage Management of Wetlands and Shallow Ponds on Watershed-scale Flood Control," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 34(4), pages 1305-1318, March.
    12. Martínez-García, Víctor & Martínez-Paz, José M. & Alcon, Francisco, 2022. "The economic value of flood risk regulation by agroecosystems at semiarid areas," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    13. Alexander J. Miller & Mauricio E. Arias & Sergio Alvarez, 2021. "Built environment and agricultural value at risk from Hurricane Irma flooding in Florida (USA)," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 109(2), pages 1327-1348, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Posthumus, H. & Rouquette, J.R. & Morris, J. & Gowing, D.J.G. & Hess, T.M., 2010. "A framework for the assessment of ecosystem goods and services; a case study on lowland floodplains in England," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(7), pages 1510-1523, May.
    2. Halkos, George, 2012. "The use of contingent valuation in assessing marine and coastal ecosystems’ water quality: A review," MPRA Paper 42183, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Angelos Alamanos & Phoebe Koundouri, 2022. "Economics of Incorporating Ecosystem Services into Water Resource Planning and Management," DEOS Working Papers 2211, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    4. Häyhä, Tiina & Franzese, Pier Paolo & Paletto, Alessandro & Fath, Brian D., 2015. "Assessing, valuing, and mapping ecosystem services in Alpine forests," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 14(C), pages 12-23.
    5. Ando Fahda Aulia & Harpinder Sandhu & Andrew C. Millington, 2020. "Quantifying the Economic Value of Ecosystem Services in Oil Palm Dominated Landscapes in Riau Province in Sumatra, Indonesia," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-23, June.
    6. Häyhä, Tiina & Franzese, Pier Paolo, 2014. "Ecosystem services assessment: A review under an ecological-economic and systems perspective," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 289(C), pages 124-132.
    7. Chaikumbung, Mayula & Doucouliagos, Hristos & Scarborough, Helen, 2016. "The economic value of wetlands in developing countries: A meta-regression analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 164-174.
    8. Imran Khan & Hongdou Lei & Gaffar Ali & Shahid Ali & Minjuan Zhao, 2019. "Public Attitudes, Preferences and Willingness to Pay for River Ecosystem Services," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-17, October.
    9. Orenstein, Daniel E. & Groner, Elli, 2014. "In the eye of the stakeholder: Changes in perceptions of ecosystem services across an international border," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 8(C), pages 185-196.
    10. Élia Pires-Marques & Cristina Chaves & Lígia M. Costa Pinto, 2021. "Biophysical and monetary quantification of ecosystem services in a mountain region: the case of avoided soil erosion," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 11382-11405, August.
    11. Wang, Xuan & Chen, Weiqi & Zhang, Luoping & Jin, Di & Lu, Changyi, 2010. "Estimating the ecosystem service losses from proposed land reclamation projects: A case study in Xiamen," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 2549-2556, October.
    12. Garcia, X. & Pargament, D., 2015. "Reusing wastewater to cope with water scarcity: Economic, social and environmental considerations for decision-making," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 154-166.
    13. Bianchi, Ettore & Accastello, Cristian & Trappmann, Daniel & Blanc, Simone & Brun, Filippo, 2018. "The Economic Evaluation of Forest Protection Service Against Rockfall: A Review of Experiences and Approaches," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 409-418.
    14. Turner, Katrine Grace & Anderson, Sharolyn & Gonzales-Chang, Mauricio & Costanza, Robert & Courville, Sasha & Dalgaard, Tommy & Dominati, Estelle & Kubiszewski, Ida & Ogilvy, Sue & Porfirio, Luciana &, 2016. "A review of methods, data, and models to assess changes in the value of ecosystem services from land degradation and restoration," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 319(C), pages 190-207.
    15. Crossman, Neville D. & Burkhard, Benjamin & Nedkov, Stoyan & Willemen, Louise & Petz, Katalin & Palomo, Ignacio & Drakou, Evangelia G. & Martín-Lopez, Berta & McPhearson, Timon & Boyanova, Kremena & , 2013. "A blueprint for mapping and modelling ecosystem services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 4(C), pages 4-14.
    16. Comino, E. & Ferretti, V., 2016. "Indicators-based spatial SWOT analysis: supporting the strategic planning and management of complex territorial systems," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 64142, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    17. Hackbart, Vivian C.S. & de Lima, Guilherme T.N.P. & dos Santos, Rozely F., 2017. "Theory and practice of water ecosystem services valuation: Where are we going?," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 218-227.
    18. Alessio D’Auria & Pasquale De Toro & Nicola Fierro & Elisa Montone, 2018. "Integration between GIS and Multi-Criteria Analysis for Ecosystem Services Assessment: A Methodological Proposal for the National Park of Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni (Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-25, September.
    19. Johann Audrain & Mateo Cordier & Sylvie Faucheux & Martin O’Connor, 2013. "Écologie territoriale et indicateurs pour un développement durable de la métropole parisienne," Revue d'économie régionale et urbaine, Armand Colin, vol. 0(3), pages 523-559.
    20. Scemama, Pierre & Levrel, Harold, 2019. "Influence of the Organization of Actors in the Ecological Outcomes of Investment in Restoration of Biodiversity," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 71-79.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:130:y:2016:i:c:p:16-24. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolecon .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.