Disparities in economic values for nature-based activities in Canada

Danielle S. Spence, Corinne J. Schuster‐Wallace, Patrick Lloyd‐Smith, Danielle S. Spence, Corinne J. Schuster‐Wallace, Patrick Lloyd‐Smith


Abstract
Differential impacts of policies or changes in environmental conditions on people is a growing area of interest to decision-makers, yet remains an often neglected area of study for the environmental valuation literature. Using data from a large national survey of over 24,000 people conducted in Canada, this paper implements a latent class Kuhn-Tucker recreation demand model to assess differences in preferences and values for nature-based activities. Preferences are disaggregated by self-reported Indigeneity, immigration status, and gender. We find that Indigenous people receive 63% greater benefits from participating in nature-based activities compared to non-Indigenous people living in Canada. Immigrants have the lowest participation in, and benefits associated with, nature-based activities. Similarly, women receive 21% lesser benefits associated with nature-based activities when compared to men. These results demonstrate that Indigenous peoples may be more vulnerable to adverse impacts on nature-based activities such as land-use changes, climate change, and government policies. The study also highlights the importance of disaggregated data and incorporating aspects of identity in the ecosystem service literature towards more equitable decision-making and reconciliation.
Cite:
Danielle S. Spence, Corinne J. Schuster‐Wallace, Patrick Lloyd‐Smith, Danielle S. Spence, Corinne J. Schuster‐Wallace, and Patrick Lloyd‐Smith. 2023. Disparities in economic values for nature-based activities in Canada. Ecological Economics, Volume 205, 205:107724.
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