A logical consequence is that the funds required for restoration actions are large,
and will probably increase as the human impact on the coasts increases.
Why are we moving toward this dead-end situation? Two explanations can be
set out to interpret this difficult situation and suggest possible ways out: ecosystem
services are not considered in decision-making processes, and some ecosystem
services are over-exploited, resulting in their loss or degradation together with
other ecosystem services that are also very relevant to society, although they may
not be directly appreciated.
18.4.1 Ecosystem Services are not Considered in the DecisionMaking Processes
Most of the ecosystem services provided by the beach and coastal dunes are not
considered in the decision-making process. The result of this incomplete assessment of the use of natural resources is that coastal ecosystems are being fragmented and degraded, on the basis of short-term financial gain rather than their
long-term value to society (de Groot 2006). A consequence of this myopic vision
is that ecosystem services (even those considered most valuable) are spoiled and
even lost. This problem is derived from the fact that ecosystem services are
assigned little or no value in the cost–benefit analysis of development projects,
because of the absence of market mechanisms. That is, many ecosystem services
that the beach and coastal dunes provide to society are usually overlooked, even
though the importance of these systems is increasingly being acknowledged.
Nevertheless, the societal value of natural ecosystems (specifically the beach and
coastal dunes) is often underappreciated (Everard et al. 2010).
One potential solution to the currently inadequate decision-making process is to
recognize the societal value of the beach and coastal dunes, including the full
range of benefits that they confer to society besides recreational, aesthetic, and
protective (see Table 18.1). The estimates of the economic value of these ecosystem services constitute a useful tool that can help with a better-informed process, because marginal costs can also be considered. For instance, before making
the decision to destroy coastal dunes and build an urban infrastructure on top of
them (houses, hotels, roads), it would be useful to consider the ecological, social,
and economic costs of losing the protection from a dynamic beach and its mobile
dunes. In this case we would use the ecosystem service value calculated for coastal
protection and incorporate it in the cost–benefit analyses of development projects.
Here, it is worth highlighting that calculating the economic costs of ecosystem
services does not mean that nature and its dynamics are for sale. These calculations
are only intended to be used as a tool to aid the decision-making processes.
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O. Pérez-Maqueo et al.
and will probably increase as the human impact on the coasts increases.
Why are we moving toward this dead-end situation? Two explanations can be
set out to interpret this difficult situation and suggest possible ways out: ecosystem
services are not considered in decision-making processes, and some ecosystem
services are over-exploited, resulting in their loss or degradation together with
other ecosystem services that are also very relevant to society, although they may
not be directly appreciated.
18.4.1 Ecosystem Services are not Considered in the DecisionMaking Processes
Most of the ecosystem services provided by the beach and coastal dunes are not
considered in the decision-making process. The result of this incomplete assessment of the use of natural resources is that coastal ecosystems are being fragmented and degraded, on the basis of short-term financial gain rather than their
long-term value to society (de Groot 2006). A consequence of this myopic vision
is that ecosystem services (even those considered most valuable) are spoiled and
even lost. This problem is derived from the fact that ecosystem services are
assigned little or no value in the cost–benefit analysis of development projects,
because of the absence of market mechanisms. That is, many ecosystem services
that the beach and coastal dunes provide to society are usually overlooked, even
though the importance of these systems is increasingly being acknowledged.
Nevertheless, the societal value of natural ecosystems (specifically the beach and
coastal dunes) is often underappreciated (Everard et al. 2010).
One potential solution to the currently inadequate decision-making process is to
recognize the societal value of the beach and coastal dunes, including the full
range of benefits that they confer to society besides recreational, aesthetic, and
protective (see Table 18.1). The estimates of the economic value of these ecosystem services constitute a useful tool that can help with a better-informed process, because marginal costs can also be considered. For instance, before making
the decision to destroy coastal dunes and build an urban infrastructure on top of
them (houses, hotels, roads), it would be useful to consider the ecological, social,
and economic costs of losing the protection from a dynamic beach and its mobile
dunes. In this case we would use the ecosystem service value calculated for coastal
protection and incorporate it in the cost–benefit analyses of development projects.
Here, it is worth highlighting that calculating the economic costs of ecosystem
services does not mean that nature and its dynamics are for sale. These calculations
are only intended to be used as a tool to aid the decision-making processes.
300
O. Pérez-Maqueo et al.