NEW DELHI: In a first of its kind of study by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), the total annual economic value of ecosystem services provided by the Delhi zoo for 2019-20 was estimated to be over Rs 55,500 crore. The economic valuation of the ecosystem services provides a way of valuing the many benefits that nature provides and helps make the contribution of nature to livelihoods and economies visible.
The CZA, under the Union environment ministry, had requested The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to conduct a study titled ‘Economic valuation of ecosystem services of National Zoological Park, New Delhi’ to understand the annual value of key ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation, carbon storage and sequestration, employment generation, recreational and cultural, education and research.
The total annual economic value of the ecosystem services provided by the National Zoological Park for 2019-20 is estimated to be Rs 422.76 crore. The total value of the onetime cost of services and land value provided by the zoo is estimated to be Rs 55,209.45 crore.
Almost 77 per cent of the contribution comes from the recreational and cultural service which indicates the significance of this service to the zoo. Education and research, the next most important service, contributes 9 per cent to the total economic value.
“This study is first of its kind for habitats such as zoological parks in India. Irrespective of the contributions, every service is important as it contributes towards the improvement of the local environment. The benefits of the zoo are not restricted to its visitors but also reach Delhi’s citizens. Hence, it is necessary to ensure the proper maintenance of the zoo to improve its services,” said the report released on Monday.
Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to humankind’s well-being which support our survival and quality of life.
“The valuation of ecosystem services provides a powerful tool to enable rational decision-making and eases the incorporation of ecological values into economic policies. This can facilitate more effective planning and management. There is a need for valuation because the environment offers many services that, in essence, are free and do not have any traditional ‘market values’ attached,” the report said.