A model to predict and assess the impacts of hydrologic changes on terrestrial ecosystems in The Netherlands,and its use in a climate scenario

Current water management policy in The Netherlands aims to serve a multitude of land use functions, such as agriculture, industry, shipping, and drinking water supply. To attune this policy to the diversity of functions, computer models are used to predict the consequences of various policy options as a part of PAWN: the government's Policy Analysis of Water management for The Netherlands.Nature conservation and development is a relatively new aspect of water management policy. This article describes the PAWN model DEMNAT, which is designed to predict the impact of hydrologic changes on terrestrial ecosystems in The Netherlands. The main components of the model are explained and the predicted effects of an assumed climatic change are discussed.     

Risk Assessment and Risk Management: An Essential Integration

The integration of Risk Assessment and Risk Management is a necessary step in environmental regulation. The compromises involved in the Risk Management process can not be allowed to violate the scientific integrity of the Risk Assessment. The inclusion of a cost/benefit analysis necessitates the valuation of ecological processes. These values are based on the costs of replacement in volume, in kind, and in place. The Risk Management is then presented as a Rolling Stewardship where Risk Management is balanced with Cash Management.     

Economic valuation of cultural services at the Todgha Oasis,Morocco

Oases are considered as environmental bulwarks. The growing tourist demand for cultural ecosystem services as provided by oases has encouraged policymakers to develop economic instruments for their protection. Thus, this paper aims to economically evaluate the cultural services produced by the Todgha Oasis (southeastern Morocco), using the contingent valuation method. The average willingness to pay) estimated for oasis is €11.09/visit. The average non-market value estimated for oases reach €188.700/year. The main contribution of this paper relies on the first estimation of the economic value of tourist demand for the oasis cultural ecosystem services in North Africa. Results could guide policymakers for designing conservation policies aimed to internalise positive externalities to improve the quality of the cultural services provided by oases and provide a win–win solution for farmers and tourists alike.