Environmental degradation typically has wide-ranging
impacts, not just in the site where damage is occurring,
but also off-site, downstream and for other sectors and
groups in the economy. These economic costs and
losses often far outweigh the returns to the activity that
is causing environmental degradation in the first place.
But, because markets, prices and policies fail to account
for these costs, they often continue to be unrecognised:
the losers remain uncompensated, the instigators are
not penalised, and appropriate investments are not
made in mitigating or offsetting the damages caused.
We have been working with Environmental Foundation
Ltd. (EFL) to value the costs of sand mining and other
sources of environmental degradation on the Maha Oya
River, Sri Lanka, which are leading to severe
downstream salinity and beach erosion, destroying
coastal settlements and infrastructure, and undermining
output and production for fisheries, agriculture, tourism
and water sectors.
impacts, not just in the site where damage is occurring,
but also off-site, downstream and for other sectors and
groups in the economy. These economic costs and
losses often far outweigh the returns to the activity that
is causing environmental degradation in the first place.
But, because markets, prices and policies fail to account
for these costs, they often continue to be unrecognised:
the losers remain uncompensated, the instigators are
not penalised, and appropriate investments are not
made in mitigating or offsetting the damages caused.
We have been working with Environmental Foundation
Ltd. (EFL) to value the costs of sand mining and other
sources of environmental degradation on the Maha Oya
River, Sri Lanka, which are leading to severe
downstream salinity and beach erosion, destroying
coastal settlements and infrastructure, and undermining
output and production for fisheries, agriculture, tourism
and water sectors.
| costing riverine and coastal degradation in Sri Lanka |
 |  |
© Environment Management Group 2012
