An assessment of the feasible application of environmental valuation methods on Rand Water open-space

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Date
2008
Authors
Bouwer, Rinus
Hendrick, Richard
Taylor, Megan
Kruger, Andre
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Rand Water has contracted University of South Africa (UNISA) to develop a monetary valuation method for its open spaces and its inherent ecological functions. This article begins by reviewing existing contemporary definitions for open space in South Africa and then identifies the key characteristics thereof. Open Spaces in the Gauteng urban environment is in a crisis and factors such as open space coverage standards, sale of open space, crime and the impact of the apartheid legacy are briefly examined. Rand Water’s open space contributes to the total open space stock of Gauteng province. Any shortage of open space and threats to the sustainable management and expansion of the open space network of the province therefore has a direct bearing on how Rand Water views and manages its open space resources. Environmental resource economics provides economists and environmentalists with various instruments to place a monetary value on the environment. The available valuation instruments are briefly reviewed and questionnaires are developed from this to determine whether it can be applied by Rand Water staff to obtain values at a minimal cost, in a short space of time, and whether it assesses the various use and non-use values.
Afrikaans: Rand Water het die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika (UNISA) ingekontrakteur om ’n waarderingsmetode te ontwikkel vir sy oopruimtes en inherente ekologiese funksies. Hierdie artikel begin dus met ’n oorsig van huidige kontemporêre definisies van oop ruimtes in Suid-Afrika en identifiseer dan die hoof eienskappe daarvan. Oopruimtes in die Gauteng stedelike omgewing is in ’n krisis en faktore soos oopruimte dekkingstandaarde, verkoop van oopruimtes, misdaad, en die impak van die apartheid nalatingskap word kortweg ondersoek. Rand Water se oopruimtes dra by tot die totale oopruimte voorraad van die Gauteng Provinsie. Enige tekort van oop ruimtes en bedreigings tot die volhoubare bestuur en uitbreiding van die oopruimte netwerk van die provinsie het dus ’n direkte uitwerking op hoe Rand Water sy oopruimte bates beskou en bestuur. Omgewings-hulpbronekonomie voorsien ekonome en omgewingskundiges met verskeie instrumente om ’n ekonomiese waarde van die omgewing te bepaal. Die beskikbare waarderingsinstrumente word kortliks ondersoek en vraelyste is ooreenkomstig ontwikkel om te bepaal of Rand Water personeel dit kan toepas teen minimale koste, oor ’n kort tydsperk, en of die metodes die verskillende gebruiks- en nie-gebruiks waardes kan bepaal.
Description
Keywords
Environmental valuation, Open Space, Use value, Environmental resource economics, Non-use value, Consumptive use value, Non-consumptive use value, Indirect use value, Existence value, Option value, Production function approach, Restoration cost method, Replacement cost method, Travel cost method, Hedonic pricing method, Contingent valuation method, Damage cost avoided method, Defensive expenditure method, Rand Water
Citation
Bouwer, R., Hendrick, R., Taylor, M., & Kruger, A. (2008). An assessment of the feasible application of environmental valuation methods on Rand Water open-space. Acta Structilia: Journal for the Physical and Development Sciences, 15(1), 39-71.