An Estimation of the Economic Value of Market Goods in Anzali Wetland

Quantifying the monetary value of ecosystem goods and services provided by coastal wetlands can help policymakers in assessing the cost-benefits and synergies inherent in the ecosystembased management of coastal environments and thus increase the social efficiency of decisionmaking processes. As a tool, valuing the ecosystem goods and services of Anzali wetland can prevent its deterioration and destruction by eliminating threats and encouraging its restoration, such that its function is preserved. In other words, it leads to a quicker restoration of the wetland placed in the Red List of Ramsar Convention. In this study, the market price method was used to evaluate the market goods of Anzali wetland ecosystem. The total economic value of market goods in the study area in 2013 is estimated at 12,781,865 million rials, and its discounted value for a 30-year period with 20% inflation rate was estimated at 3,034,111,931 million rials. The share of total market values of gross regional production in Gilan province was estimated at 8%. Given the current trend of wetlands destruction and its possible ecological, social and economic consequences, it becomes more evident that the value of wetlands must be well understood and taken into account in decision making. Obviously, citing quantitative and rial values in expressing the value of each source is an efficient and effective tool for justifying the goals of sustainable development and environmental protection.