Economic Valuation of the Ecosystem Services provided by Blue Economy Ecosystems in the Dominican Republic

The project focused on assessing the economic value of blue carbon ecosystems in the Dominican Republic, including coral reefs, seagrasses, tidal marshes and mangroves, in order to support decision-making processes related to their conservation and sustainable management. The study evaluated the ecosystem services provided by these ecosystems, with particular attention to tourism, fisheries, shoreline protection and carbon sequestration.

The work included a review of existing literature and previous economic valuation studies on blue carbon ecosystems in the Dominican Republic and other international contexts, as well as the assessment of methodologies for valuing ecosystem services in alignment with the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA). In addition, the project involved the collection and analysis of primary and secondary data related to the economic sectors linked to blue carbon ecosystems.

The consultancy carried out a national economic valuation of blue carbon ecosystems, including the estimation of the value of ecosystem goods and services and the assessment of how these benefits are distributed among different stakeholders. The project also analysed policy and regulatory frameworks related to blue carbon ecosystem conservation and developed recommendations to strengthen the recognition and integration of their economic value into policy and decision-making processes.