Worth it: Benefits outweigh costs in reducing eutrophication in the Baltic : BalticSTERN Summary Report for HELCOM 2013 Ministerial Meeting

• This summary report reviews the findings of BalticSTERN, an international research network conducting economic analysis of the ongoing and prospective efforts to reduce eutrophication in the Baltic Sea.The network has undertaken surveys exploring the benefits to be realized by citizens of countries on the Baltic from improved water quality and estimated cost-effective combinations of nutrient abatement measures which would fulfil the targets of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). The cost-benefit analysis reported here evaluated the long-term net benefits and ecological consequences of the BSAP.The results indicate that the overall benefits of pursuing the proposed nutrient reductions clearly outweigh their aggregate cost, suggesting that the BSAP is an economically sound plan for solving the transboundary eutrophication problem. The cost of inaction - not implementing the objectives of the BSAP - would be significant.The research tools developed in BalticSTERN may aid decision making and inform processes related to the planning, design and evaluation of future international and national water management plans and policies for the Baltic Sea.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Oceanografi, hydrologi och vattenresurser (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Oceanography, Hydrology and Water Resources (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Baltic

cost benefit analysis

Baltic Sea Action Plan

HELCOM

BalticSTERN

management

eutrophication

nutrient

cost-benefit

BSAP

transboundary

abatement

model

tool

policy

w

Systems Ecology

systemekologi

Marine Ecology

marin ekologi

Economics

nationalekonomi

marin- och brackvattensekologi

Marine and Brackish Water Ecology

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

rap (subject category)