| Abstract: |
Coral reefs are globally important ecosystems known for their high
productivity and biodiversity. These reefs offer various ecosystem services,
including provisioning and regulation. The coastal environment of the
Philippines is rich in a diversity of reef species and associated marine
organisms, attracting tourists each year, making the country a major tourist
destination in Asia, and generating livelihoods for coastal communities.
Recent studies suggest declines in reef diversity and abundance due to
destructive fishing methods, industrial and agricultural waste, and
unsustainable urban development, threatening the tourism sector and the
economic opportunities provided by the reefs. This study compiles and
synthesizes existing published research articles on valuation methods commonly
used to assess the benefits of reef-related tourism. Articles published in
Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science journals were searched using the
PSALSAR framework. The initial search results of 7, 982 using specific terms
and Boolean operators were further refined, yielding 21 articles deemed
eligible for annotation and preliminary review. Results of synthesis revealed
that, despite the considerable number of studies on valuation, few focused on
reef-related tourism. The articles encompassed a wide range of study sites,
coastal habitat characteristics, and list of tourism activities. Valuation
studies for reefs are commonly conducted in sites either in protected areas
e.g., marine parks or popular tourist destinations e.g., Great Barrier Reef.
Moreover, economic value is obtained from revenues earned, taxes collected,
tourist expenditures and cost of handling reef-associated tourism activities.
In this manner, the reef is undervalued as it only reflects the indirect use
value of the ecosystem services e.g., supporting, cultural. Consequently,
valuation studies that measure the economic value of provisioning services
e.g., fish catch, fish population, and downstream employment is lacking. There
is a significant monetary amount missing in reports that represent the reef’s
value in providing food and employment to the most vulnerable sector – the
coastal community. Thus, reefs in the Philippines remain exploited and
non-prioritized for national programs in the absence of comprehensive
valuation. |