Using choice experiments to value welfare losses induced by coastal impacts. A focus on definition of enviromental attributes

Abstract

The need to develop policies oriented to reducing (or avoiding) negative coastal impacts and to assess their social acceptance makes the use of non-market valuation methods essential in public decision processes. When complexities and uncertainties in ecosystem dynamics impose difficulties to determine the magnitude of coastal impacts, the attention is moved toward the use of stated preference methods. With a focus on eutrophication in the coastal waters of Santa Ponça Bay (Mallorca), this doctoral thesis firstly assesses the suitability of choice experiments (CE) for valuing the eutrophication induced welfare losses of second-home residents. Secondly, it evolves around specific issues related to environmental attribute definition that, despite largely unexplored in the literature, can enhance the CE contribution to policy making in environmental uncertainty contexts. Although being a first attempt in analyzing these topics, it may provide some insights into their policy relevance, helping to consolidate the CE role in decision making