16. Economic Value of Coral Reefs in Palau

The aim of this research is to estimate how much Palauan people value coral reefs in the Rock Island Southern Lagoon (RISL) in Palau by using the Contingent Valuation Method, which is one of the methods used in Environmental Economics. According to some surveys, Palauan people are comparatively more environmentally conscious than those from other countries. However, in recent years, land development has been rapidly increased, and the number of tourists has been drastically increasing as well. Climate change is a global phenomenon that is affecting the condition of the marine environment. These trends cause serious damages to the natural environment. Since coral reefs provide some of the most important resources to the Palauan people, we conducted this study to understand the value of coral reefs to the people of Palau and as a result develop appropriate and effective conservation policy for Palau’s coral reefs. As a result of CVM survey conducted in Koror and Airai states, people’s “willingness to pay” and “willingness to work” are estimated at US $8.00 per month with a total annual value that is estimated at US $452,448. These estimated values can be used as critical information for compensation for coral damage, evaluation of economic efficiency of conservation policy, and improving awareness or education for Palauan residents.