AUTHOR=Coyne Cynthia , Williams Greg , Sangha Kamaljit K. 

TITLE=Assessing the Value of Ecosystem Services From an Indigenous Estate: Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area, Australia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Environmental Science

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.845178

DOI=10.3389/fenvs.2022.845178

ISSN=2296-665X

ABSTRACT=The value of ecological systems to human welfare and the economy is often not estimated in contemporary economic and policy decision making processes. Estimating non-marketable and marketable values of ecosystem services on Indigenous managed land provides significant information about the role that the natural environment plays in maintaining the well-being of people. This research applies geographical information system mapping to investigate the value of ecosystem services for the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area—an estate managed by Indigenous people in northern Australia. It provides valuable insights for policy makers, land managers, and future development programs while informing the importance of managing Indigenous lands for the local and wider public benefits. Additionally, applying the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment framework and the standard ecological economic valuation techniques, this study presents the on-ground economic values of marketable and non-marketable ecosystem services identified from the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area. The total value of ecosystem services was estimated at $32.6 million per year, which are largely non-marketable (such as climate and water regulation) and these values flow to the local and wider public.  This research argues that investing in managing Indigenous estates helps in reducing welfare costs for the Australian Government worth, in the case of the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area, $8 million per year.  Overall, the value of ecosystem services and cost savings demonstrate the real benefits that Indigenous people obtain for working on Country. In addition, Indigenous land management delivers offsite ecological, social and cultural ecosystem services (value estimated at $29 million per year for the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area) which are typically ignored in policy decision making regarding Indigenous matters in Australia. This study highlights the importance of land managed by Indigenous people in Australia and worldwide to comprehend the real value of benefits and suggests appropriate stewardship arrangements to support people’s efforts.