An ecological interval two-stage fuzzy shadow price model for environmental flow allocation in the Shaying River Basin

In recent times, social water use has overstepped into the domain of ecological water use, disrupting environmental flow and, thus, destroying the ecological environment. This research aims to coordinate social and natural water use to bring about optimal economic benefits, while ensuring environmental flow requirements. In this study, an interval two-stage fuzzy shadow price model (ITS-SPM) has been developed, which combines two-stage programming (TSP) and system of water value to optimize environmental flow. The ITS-SPM is mainly characterized as system benefits constituted by expected water resource benefits and water shortage penalty. This model has removed the uncertainties of economic data and environmental water demand (expressed fuzzy and interval). It has been found that adjusting the social water structure can effectively solve the problem of insufficient ecological flow. The ITS-SPM can make the adjustment of social water use more reasonable, which will produce benefits, unlike the current agricultural water reduction policy. Under the premise of guaranteeing optimal economic benefits, the added value of environmental water use in different scenarios is (social water structure adjustment) as follows: in 2020, it was expected that Shaying River water would increase by at least 13.49%; in 2025, it is expected to increase by at least 33.35%; in 2030, the increase will be by at least 57.54%; and in 2035, it will be by at least 77.50%.

Climate Mitigation through Biological Conservation: Extensive and Valuable Blue Carbon Natural Capital in Tristan da Cunha’s Giant Marine Protected Zone

Carbon-rich habitats can provide powerful climate mitigation if meaningful protection is put in place. We attempted to quantify this around the Tristan da Cunha archipelago Marine Protected Area. Its shallows (<1000 m depth) are varied and productive. The 5.4 km2 of kelp stores ~60 tonnes of carbon (tC) and may export ~240 tC into surrounding depths. In deep-waters we analysed seabed data collected from three research cruises, including seabed mapping, camera imagery, seabed oceanography and benthic samples from mini-Agassiz trawl. Rich biological assemblages on seamounts significantly differed to the islands and carbon storage had complex drivers. We estimate ~2.3 million tC are stored in benthic biodiversity of waters <1000 m, which includes >0.22 million tC that can be sequestered (the proportion of the carbon captured that is expected to become buried in sediment or locked away in skeletal tissue for at least 100 years). Much of this carbon is captured by cold-water coral reefs as a mixture of inorganic (largely calcium carbonate) and organic compounds. As part of its 2020 Marine Protection Strategy, these deep-water reef systems are now protected by a full bottom-trawling ban throughout Tristan da Cunha and representative no take areas on its seamounts. This small United Kingdom Overseas Territory’s reef systems represent approximately 0.8 Mt CO2 equivalent sequestered carbon; valued at >£24 Million GBP (at the UN shadow price of carbon). Annual productivity of this protected standing stock generates an estimated £3 million worth of sequestered carbon a year, making it an unrecognized and potentially major component of the economy of small island nations like Tristan da Cunha. Conservation of near intact habitats are expected to provide strong climate and biodiversity returns, which are exemplified by this MPA.

Valuation of Mangrove Direct Benefit in Jerowaru District, East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara

Mangroves have various functions and roles, both economic and ecological. In Jerowaru District, East Lombok Regency, the function and role of mangroves are economically and ecologically beneficial, but their value has not been measured. This study aims to determine the valuation of direct benefits of mangroves in Jerowaru District, East Lombok Regency. The approach taken in determining the economic value of mangrove products and services is financial analysis and economic analysis. In financial analysis, a direct approach is used, namely by using market values for marketed commodities and determining the value of substitutes for goods and services that are not marketed. While in the economic analysis, the shadow price or accounting price, namely the value adjusted in such a way as to describe the true value of mangrove goods and services. The results showed that the value of the direct benefit of mangroves in the study area was ± IDR 88.162.750/ha/year. Valuation of the value of direct benefits of mangroves at the location comes from mangrove products and services in the form of firewood and charcoal products, construction wood, capture fisheries products, fish and shrimp larvae stocks, wildlife, preservatives and dyes, food ingredients, and medicines, animal feed, salt, recreation, and tourism, as well as education and research.