International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management

13.3.2 Socioeconomic System SAV provides numerous socioeconomic co-benefits. The most recognized economic value of SAV beds in developing areas is from the fisheries they support, upon which local economies and trade depend (Unsworth, Nordlund, and Cullen-Unsworth 2019). The economic value of SAV contributions to the secondary production of fish species in south Australia was calculated to be $114 million Australian dollars (AUD) ($89 million U.S. dollars [USD]) annually (McArthur and Boland 2006). Tuya, Haroun, and Espino (2014) examined the economic value of SAV by looking at the economic value of the fisheries they support in Gran Canaria in the eastern Atlantic. The economic value of SAV as fishery grounds was calculated to be approximately €886 euros per ha (USD$1,000 per ha), with the value of SAV as nursery grounds for commercially important fishes estimated at €95.75 euros per ha (USD$120 per ha) per year (Tuya, Haroun, and Espino 2014). On the Great Southern Reef in Australia, Bennet et al. (2015) estimated the combined fishing and tourism value of the kelp forests in the region to be approximately AUD$10 billion (USD$8 billion) per year. In a broad valuation of kelp beds in northern Chile, Vásquez et al. (2014) estimated the fishery, biodiversity, cultural, and climate change buffer values to be USD$540 million.

13.3.3 Governance System Governments around the world have recognized the value of vegetated nearshore coastal systems, and in many cases, have enacted conservation, protection, and restoration programs to protect SAV. SAV are often protected by federal, state, and local laws, so permits or other authorizations are usually required for any activity that may result in disturbance or loss of SAV. Governance of SAV restoration actions can vary by country or, in the case of the United States, by state (see example in the case study “Governance Example for SAV Permitting [Maryland and Virginia, United States]”).

CASE STUDY:

Governance Example for SAV Permitting (Maryland and Virginia, United States) In response to dramatic water quality declines in the Chesapeake Bay and the associated losses in SAV areal extent and fisheries productivity, the first Chesapeake Bay Agreement was signed in 1983 (Orth et al. 2002). This landmark agreement established a governance structure among Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the

13 | Plant Systems: Submerged Aquatic Vegetation and Kelp

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International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management

Published on Sep 16, 2021

US Army Engineer Research and Development Center

International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management (NNBF Guidelines) is the product of a large-scale collaboration that included 5 years of working-level meetings and knowledge sharing involving key practice leaders from around the world. The project was initiated and led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as a part of its Engineering With Nature Initiative. USACE in the United States, the Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Netherlands, and the Environment Agency in the United Kingdom were the three primary government institutions that organized and led the effort. Many other organizations also provided critical leadership and participation, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, World Bank, National Institute of Standards and Technology, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund.