Integrated Watershed And Coastal Areas Management:

Fond D’or Watershed Valuation Study

Amanda RichardsonMark Kolonoski

Josh SmithBen Rumsey

Project Concept•Beneficiaries:

–Local–Regional–Global

•Benefits transfer•Payments for ecosystem services•Examples

–New York City: drinking water–Costa Rica: water, scenic beauty, biodiversity, carbon

Project goals

1. Contribute to Integrated Watershed and Coastal Areas Management in the Fond D’or watershed

2. Achieve sustainable use and provision of water services while improving livelihoods within the Fond D’Or watershed.

• Millennium Development Goals:– Environmental Sustainability– Poverty Alleviation

Project Description• Mabouya Valley Development Project

•Goal: to improve water quality

•Conducted household, farmer and tourist surveys•Provide an economic analysis of watershed services using collected survey data

• Opportunity Cost (farmers)– Revenue– Land value– Inputs/costs

• Demand– Household demand for water– Tourism’s demand for clean oceans

• Supply (financing)– Household support– Tourism industry support

Project Components

Household survey project area• Fond D’or Watershed• Community clusters:

1. La Caye, Lumere, LaPerle2. Aux Lyon, Gardette, LaRessources,

Despin3. Richfond, Grande Ravine4. Deniere Riviere, Belmont5. Grande Riviere, Mornpanache,

Debonaire, Tomazo

Household Survey

• Elements:– Types of water supply– Water usage– Satisfaction with quality & quantity– Willingness to pay (WTP) scenario– Demographic information

• UVM student paired with community volunteer

WTP scenario• Willingness to pay

– Economic measure of preference– Scenario: benefits transfer program– Households pay additional amount on water bill– Reforestation to protect water sources– Calculate maximum WTP

Project Output

•5 days

•235 man hours

•308 completed surveys

Community Experiences“The water is not good for human consumption. It’s

unbearable.”“I only get water between 11pm and 5am.”

“Either there’s too much chlorine or it’s dirty.”“I don’t get what I pay for but I am afraid they will cut

my water off if I don’t pay, so I pay.”

Sample Data• 100 surveys• Is there a problem with drinking water?

– Yes= 100%

• People that believe landowners should be compensated: 86%

Results

11

85

33

46

11

85

33

46

n=98

1 3

3031

5

25

1= Very satisfied2= Satisfied3= Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied4= Unsatisfied5= Very Unsatisfied6= Don’t Know

Satisfaction with water quality and quantity:

Results (cont’d)People willing to pay an additional amount on their monthly water bill to support a reforestation program:

Next steps

• Short term:– Further data analysis– Final report summarizing data– Policy recommendations

• Long term:– Farmer site visits– Identification of potential water sources– Address water distribution issues

Thank You

• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries• Michael Andrew• Lyndon John• Cornelius Isaac• Mabouya Valley Development Project

community volunteers• Mabouya Valley Fair Trade Organization• The people of the Mabouya Valley