Valuing forest-based ecosystem services in Bangladesh: Implications for research and policies

Ecosystem services (ES) are not adequately accounted for in policy decisions in Bangladesh. This article takes stock of existing literature on economic valuation of forest-based ES. Even if ES valuation has started to receive attention in policy discussions, their literature is still scarce in the country. We compiled 67 value estimates for 19 ES from 30 studies covering all major forest zones of Bangladesh. Most of them focused on the Sundarbans. Other forest zones were neglected or inadequately addressed. Most studies focused on provisioning services. The available estimates indicate that forests of Bangladesh are worth USD 840 ha(-1) yr(-1) on average. The value was the highest for the Sundarbans (USD 2176 ha(-1) yr(-1)) while the hill forests' value was a distant second with USD 1066 ha(-1) yr(-1). The variability in valuation estimates could possibly be explained by the different methodologies employed, or the narrow geographic focus of many studies. The review indicates the need of systematically researching the demand, supply and values of ES over time. This is critical to support decision making which ensures that the development of Bangladesh does not occur at the expense of natural ecosystems and of the people that depend on them.