Author(s)

J. J. F. Campos Jr., N. M. Pereira & R. N. Cavalcanti

Abstract

Economic valuation of environmental damages at coastal areas: methodologies and challenges J. J. F. Campos Jr1, N. M. Pereira2 & R. N. Cavalcanti3 Depto. de Planejamento de Sistemas Energeticos, FEM- UNICAMP, Brazil 2 Depto. de Politica Cientifica e Tecnologia, IG- WICAMP. Brazil 3 Depto. de Administracao de Recursos Minerais, IG- UNICAMP. Brazil Abstract Presently, coastal areas of several countries around the planet are the focus of projects that try to bring the economic development to these areas at the same time that they intend to maintain as much as possible the local environmental quality. Notwithstanding, t many times the development projects are potentially harmful to the environment and deal with costal areas without preocupation in minimize the ecosystems disruption as short as well longer term after their implantation. In order to reduce or even avoid the projects impact, the economic theory developed some techniques that are intended demonstrate that payments for damage can be more expensive than to introduce modifications in the project in way of have reduction costs in the future. These methodologies can also be used to define the economic value of environment allows to demonstrate that it can be more interesting to maintain, or to recover, the environment using it in a sustainable way to develop the surrounding economy than to bring other alternatives that may cause further damage. In this work the valuation methodologies and a study case at a costal area are discussed to show how they can be applied, and also in what kind of case they can fail. The study case was carry out at the north of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where the tourism is a decisive fator to the economic health of area in the same way that the largest marine oil terminal of Brazil located there. These two variables put together give us interesting possibilities to apply valuation

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