Disparities in economic values for nature-based activities in Canada

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, 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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