October, 2019 – September, 2020 BGI Consulting carried out socio-economic benefit assessment study of the Natura 2000 network. The evaluation was commissioned by the State Service for Protected Areas under the Ministry of Environment.

 

Natura 2000 is an integrated European ecological network of special areas of conservation designed to enable the conservation and, where necessary, restoration to a favorable conservation status of natural habitat types and habitats of various species in their natural range. In order to ensure adequate protection of Natura 2000 sites, these sites are subject to certain restrictions on economic activities. Furthermore, the owners of farm and forest lands in Natura 2000 sites have an obligation to actively contribute to maintaining their conservation status.

 

Natura 2000 ecological network generates a variety of direct and indirect socio-economic benefits for both local people and businesses, as well as for society at large. It has been observed that these benefits in many cases outweigh and surpass the losses caused by certain restrictions on economic activity in Natura 2000 sites. Therefore, in order to assess the balance of costs and benefits of Natura 2000 network areas in Lithuania, it was decided to conduct this “Socio-Economic Benefit Assessment Study of the Natura 2000 Network” (the Study). The aim of the Study was to develop a methodology for assessing the benefits and costs of maintaining Natura 2000 sites adapted to the Lithuanian context, defining indicators relevant to the Lithuanian context, reflecting the benefits and costs of Natura 2000 sites, their data sources and assessment methods that could be used in the future, in order to re-evaluate the benefits created by Lithuanian Natura 2000 sites and the costs necessary for their maintenance. Using the developed methodology, the net annual benefits currently generated by Lithuanian Natura 2000 sites (after eliminating the costs required for the maintenance of Natura 2000 sites) were also assessed during the preparation of the Study.

 

The Study was based on the theoretical approach of ecosystem services, combining it with the model of total economic value. While combining these theoretical concepts, it was stated that existing Natura 2000 sites in Lithuania create certain ecosystem services, but these ecosystem services create socio-economic value for society only when they are directly (consumable value) or indirectly (non-consumable value) consumed by the society. The costs of maintaining and adapting ecosystem services to the needs of public consumption were considered to reflect the costs of maintaining Natura 2000 sites.

 

The obtained results of the study show that the total socio-economic benefits of Natura 2000 sites (before cost elimination) are equal to EUR 193 MLN and 2.18 times exceed the socio-economic costs for maintaining the Natura 2000 network. The net benefit generated by Natura 2000 sites (excluding total costs from the total benefits) is equal to EUR 105 MLN. It has also been found that the most annual benefits of Natura 2000 sites are generated by the non-consumable value of Natura 2000 sites.

 

A wide range of research methods were applied in the Study: analysis of primary and secondary sources, statistical data analysis, interviews, survey of selected visitors to protected areas, surveys of protected area directorates, a representative survey of the Lithuanian population, cost-benefit analysis, meta-analysis and expert evaluation.

 

The study results were presented in the report, available online.