METHODS FOR THE ECONOMIC VALUATION OF BIODIVERSITY IN POST-CONFLICT AREAS

Abstract

In the last decade, there has been a sharp increase in the number and intensity of armed conflicts, which have a negative impact on natural ecosystems and biodiversity, which underpin the formation of flows of ecosystem services that form natural capital. The degradation of natural ecosystems in zones of armed conflict is both a tactic and a consequence of armed struggle. Armed struggle affects natural ecosystems through the direct destruction of individual organisms, the modification of natural ecosystems and the reduction of environmental protection opportunities. The degree of impact of armed conflict on biodiversity can vary considerably, depending on the levels of ecological organization of natural ecosystems, spatial scales and methods of armed struggle. The imperatives of preserving nature during periods of armed struggle and post-conflict reconstruction are formalized in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Assessing and maintaining an acceptable level of ecosystem services and biodiversity in the post-conflict period is necessary to mitigate the significant negative impacts on natural ecosystems in the post-conflict period in areas affected by armed struggle. The purpose of this article is to present methods of economic valuation of biodiversity that can be applied in the development of programs for the post-conflict restoration of territories affected by armed struggle. The author presents a matrix of the impact of biodiversity on the provision of ecosystem services by ecosystems, describes the degree of impact of biodiversity on the processes of providing ecosystem services by various natural ecosystems, and provides an exhaustive list of methods for the economic assessment of biodiversity.