Valuing the products and services of mangrove restoration

Abstract

SUMMARY The rehabilitation of mangrove forests results in both marketed economic products and in the enhancement of coastal protection services. This latter indirect benefit is important where hazards such as storm surges and floods make communties vulnerable to climate risks.Estimates are presented of the benefits of mangrove restoration undertaken to enhance sea defence systems in three coastal districts of northern Vietnam. Mangrove rehabilitation can be desirable from an economic perspective based solely on the direct use benefits by local communities. Such activities have even higher benefit cost ratios with the inclusion of the indirect benefits resulting from the avoided maintenance cost for the sea dike system which the mangrove stands protect from coastal storm surges.