Environmental management preferences data in the GBR region - Discrete Choice Experiments data

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Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are actions to manage or restore natural ecosystems to generate anthropogenic benefits. Interest in these mechanisms has increased substantially in the last decade, partially because of perceptions that NbS deliver multiple benefits to biodiversity and human well-being. However, NbS are often costly compared to more standard engineering solutions, so the case for adoption is typically dependent on the additional benefits that can be generated. Quantifying those benefits in economic terms is required in the decision-making process if NbS are to become more widely applied. This work aims to assess the economic value of NbS in a land reclamation case study application in a major harbour in Gladstone, Queensland. Coastal NbS are usually implemented to provide coastal protection and recreational amenities (i.e., use values). The Gladstone harbour NbS project is expected to deliver use, non-use and relational values. Because non-market values are involved, Choice Experiments will be used as a valuation tool. The choice experiment designed for this study case will estimate the economic value for the ecosystem type used to implement the NbS. Complexities to be addressed in the study include the uncertainty related to the reclamation outcomes, the small scale of works to be undertaken, and the interplay of losses and gains across ecosystems.