The economic value of ecosystem services of irrigation: a choice experiment for the monetary evaluation of irrigation canals and fontanili in Lombardy
Author(s)
Ruberto Myriam
Giacomo Branca
Stefania Troiano
Raffaella Zucaro
Date Issued
2022
Type
article
Volume
77
Issue
2
Start Page
27
End Page
39
Journal
Abstract
The Water Framework Directive (WFD) has introduced economic principles for water resource management, including the environmental cost recovery on the
basis of the polluter pays principle (PPP). Agriculture, as a potential driver of pressures on water bodies, can produce environmental costs. However, the use of water in
agriculture can produce ecosystem services (ES), especially through the aquatic systems of the traditional irrigation agro-ecosystem. This work presents a case study of
monetary estimation of some ES of aquatic ecosystems linked to irrigation, i.e. irrigation canals and fontanili in Lombardy (Italy). Through the choice experiment method,
we obtained positive values of willingness to pay for the highest levels of ES analysed.
This has an implication in the context of the economic analysis of water uses and the
decision-making process within the interventions planning of irrigation efficiency
improvement.