Economic Valuation Study

The consultancy assessed the economic value of the ecosystem services provided by the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE) in Puerto Rico, with the objective of strengthening the evidence base on the benefits generated by the estuary and supporting stakeholder engagement and communication efforts. The study expanded upon previous valuation work by incorporating environmental indicators, stakeholder perspectives and non-market valuation approaches to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the estuary’s contribution to society and the economy.

The work included a stakeholder analysis, the development of an inventory of ecosystem assets and services, and the quantification and spatial analysis of key ecosystem functions. Particular attention was given to ecosystem services supporting sectors such as tourism, recreation, marine transportation and climate change mitigation. The valuation process combined existing scientific and grey literature, publicly available datasets and new evidence gathered through participatory methods and surveys targeting residents and visitors.

In addition, the consultancy reviewed and applied appropriate economic valuation methodologies to estimate the value of ecosystem services and developed a data dashboard and visualisation tools to communicate the results. The project generated evidence on the environmental, social and economic importance of the estuary and provided a platform for informing decision-making, public awareness and future conservation investments.