Download Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Resources from Kunigal Lake, Tumkur District, Karnataka, India Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle
Wetlands provide important natural resources, upon which societies depend. They are recognised globally for their vital role in sustaining a wide array of biodiversity, provide goods and services and upon which the rural economies depends. In particular, wetland resources play a vital role in contributing to food security by enabling direct availability of products such as fish, crops grown, wild fruits and vegetables; providing cash income from sale of raw materials and processed products and contributing to increased crop and livestock yields as a result of improved productivity from use of water, silt, and through climate moderation. In Kunigal, wetlands as elsewhere provide a wide range of tangible and nontangible benefits to local communities. Some of the tangible benefits include water for domestic use and watering of livestock, support to dry season agriculture, building materials, and food resources such as fish, while the non-tangible benefits include flood control, purification of water, maintenance of the water table, microclimate moderation, and storm protection. It also serves as habitats for important flora and fauna, have aesthetic and heritage values, and contain stocks of biodiversity. All these benefits have a bearing on the livelihood of local communities. A vast majority of the people living adjacent to the lake areas directly use the wetland resources for their sustenance. Besides, they also indirectly contribute to food security by providing services that foster food production such as weather modifications and nutrient retention. The Economic Valuation of Kunigal Lake in Tumkur was carried out by WWF-India. Methodology: The study assessed the economic value of wetlands linked to community welfare and livelihoods activities, by applying partial valuation techniques (market price method, productivity method), socio-economic surveys, literature reviews and contingent valuation method. It employed structured interviews, participatory observation approach, focus group discussions and key-informant interviews for primary data. Three villages near the lake were selected for the study, based on the assumption that the majority of those households rely on wetland resources for their livelihoods. The market prices method was applied to quantify direct use values, by estimating the price in commercial markets for such wetland resources as fish, water for domestic supply, pastures, and agricultural products. The productivity method was used to quantify the use of water in agriculture. In the report wetland and lake are used interchangeably. Benefit of the study: The study provides lesson learned for sustainably managing wetland resources to benefit the local community which uses the wetlands as their main source of livelihood and ensuring maximum poverty reduction benefits from sustainable use of natural resources. Main Findings: The key findings from the assessed of the economic value of Kunigal lake include, A conservative estimate of the annual value from water, fisheries and pastures provided by the lake (416 he) is approximately 19.5 million INR ha-1 yr-1 for the lake, and the regulatory services for the catchment (34090 he) is 1340 million INR ha-1 yr-1 based on the survey sample the pasture value was estimated at INR 1.4 million for 193 cattle. Ecosystem Services Million, INR/year Regulatory functions# Microclimate regulation 542 Water regulation/recharge 61.3 Carbon Sequestration 736.3 TOTAL 1339.6. Provisional Services@ Domestic water supply 3.5 Fisheries 8.6 Water for crops 0.00015 Pastures (milk as value addition) 7.4 TOTAL 19.5 # Regulatory functions are calculated for the catchment area; @ based on field work. The findings from this study suggest that if wetland resources are used unsustainably, or in a manner which reduces societal net benefits, local people's income would decline. A more comprehensive approach is required to manage the entire catchment area. Populations from upper catchment areas have potentially negative impacts on downstream water flows. Since social and ecological systems are linked, more awareness programs are needed, focusing at all levels of community members in the study area, as people's participation in conservation activities is comparatively low. Catchment destruction has resulted in reduced grazing land, farming land and limited wetlands products such as fruits, grasses and vegetables and potential incomes from bee keeping. The lake vast tourism potential is underexploited: There is limited exploitation of the areas vast tourism potential based on its rich bird biodiversity. The estimates of wetland benefits as for this study illustrate the magnitude of the economic value of wetlands in addition to their biodiversity, scientific value, climate regulation, potential tourism, social, cultural and other important wetland values. They further represent one more tool to raise awareness with decision makers.
