Abstract:
Mangroves are considered a highly productive blue forests resource providing services that are important to the community both locally and globally. In recent times there has been an increase in studies on valuation of ecosystem services provided by mangroves. However, there is need to provide a simplified approach to identify, assess and quantify ecosystem services. In this study the Toolkit for Ecosystem Services Site-based Assessment (TESSA) was used to assess the value of harvested goods provided by the mangroves of Mida Creek in the current state and under plausible alternative scenarios. Spatial methods (GIS) were used to collect data for the period 1985-2019, and household interviews were used to collect data on harvested goods. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize quantitative data. Results show that the estimated current annual value of harvested goods in Mida Creek is US$ 11.2 million. This value increased to US$ 14.3 million under the conservation scenario and reduced to US$ 10.9 million under the business as usual scenario (BAU). These findings add to the growing literature on ecosystem service valuation and the need to use site-specific non-modelling tools like TESSA.
