Regional-scale non-market benefits of improved lakes and rivers when perceived and monitored ecological status diverge

There is increased call to demonstrate the benefits of EU Member States' river basin management plans, whose implementation has been delayed largely due to insufficient funding. This paper applies a contingent valuation study to investigate the benefit value of improved ecological status in river basins and the discrepancy between the quality of waters as perceived by river basin residents and as monitored under the Water Framework Directive. Respondents often reported worse quality for their focal water body than the monitored status indicated, a tendency established in a GIS analysis. The likelihood of such divergence increased most with degree of perceived deterioration of surface waters. Observed deterioration in waters, official status of one's focal water body and divergence between two quality measures had implications for welfare estimates. Describing water quality according to ecological criteria and as uniformly as possible would facilitate the use of valuation results in future benefit transfers.

Automated summary

This study uses contingent valuation to examine the benefit value of improving ecological status in river basins and the discrepancies between residents' perception of water quality and official monitoring results. The study finds that residents often report worse quality for their focal water body compared to the monitored status, with discrepancies increasing with perceived deterioration of surface waters. These discrepancies, along with observed deterioration and differences between quality measures, have implications for welfare estimates.