Ecosystem Services Economic Valuation at San Luis Wetland in Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia

Abstract

The aim of this research is to carry out an economic valuation of the San Luis wetland in Florencia for the ecosystem services it provides and the benefits derived from its conservation due to a (hypothetical) project, which is subject to high anthropic  intervention. Contingent valuation was used as a method to find the Willingness To Pay (WTP) of urban households in Florencia for the conservation of the wetland and associated ecosystem services. A sample of 340  households was taken and a structured survey was applied. The WTP calculated was 0.30 USD per year per household. Households recognize and give value to the San Luis wetland and its ecosystem services, whose economic benefits were estimated at 100.48 USD per year in the sample households, which allows inferring that they amount to about 46,333.66 USD in the urban population.