Chapter Economic valuation of coastal blue carbon stock’s dynamics. An study in NW Spain using land cover transitions and InVEST

Abstract

Economic valuation of ecosystem services stands as a critical element in comprehending the benefits derived from natural capital and guiding policymakers worldwide. Among these services, the regulation of CO2 fluxes is paramount for climate adaptation and mitigation, prominently observable within Coastal Blue Carbon habitats as salt marshes. We conducted a case study of sea level rise impacts on Galician (NW Spain) salt marshes and their carbon pools from present day to 2050. First, we compute the physical damage from flooding, using a rule-based model to identify land cover transitions. Secondly, Coastal Blue Carbon model of InVEST software is deployed to quantify impacts on carbon sequestration and apply economic valuation through the social cost of carbon. Our results indicate that the consequences of sea-level rise are limited when compared with other processes as erosion, which need to be better understood and modelled. 11 tons of CO2 would be emitted to the atmosphere by 2050 due to sea-level rise, with damages valuated in 37 thousand €. Our approximation is useful for including the monetization of regulating services for cost-benefit analysis and coastal protection.