Measuring the Economic Benefit of Maintaining the Ecological Integrity of the Rio211 Mameyes in Puerto Rico

摘要

A continent valuation in-person survey of Puerto Rican households was performed211u001efrom April to August 1995 to estimate their willingness-to-pay for preserving 211u001einstream flows in the Rio Mameyes and avoiding a dam on the Rio Fajardo. Annual 211u001ewillingness-to-pay was $21 for each river. When expanded to the one million 211u001ehouseholds in Puerto Rico for the 5-year period households were asked to pay, 211u001ethis amount increased to $110 million for the Rios Mameyes and Fajardo. Visitors 211u001eto the Rio Mameyes indicated they would reduce trips by 93 percent if 10 million 211u001egallons daily were withdrawn from the river, resulting in a loss of $250,000 in 211u001eannual recreation benefits. Both the household and recreation values can be 211u001ecompared to the costs of repairing water lines and in-home water conservation 211u001emeasures to determine if there are more net benefits to these alternative sources 211u001eof water than withdrawals from the Rio Mameyes.