This case study applies a contingent valuation approach to estimate how households value different multi-purpose infrastructure (grey or green) for managing flood risk and water pollution. It considers the case of the Gorla water park located north of Milan, in the Lombardy Region of Italy. The Gorla park is a neo-ecosystem recently built on the shore of the Olona River in an area previously used for a poplar plantation. The research not only considers the values people hold for different water ecosystem services (e.g. pollution removal, recreative use, biodiversity, flood risk reduction), but also their preferences for how those outcomes are achieved through grey or green infrastructure.
The results indicate that the type of infrastructure delivering the ecosystem services (grey or green) does have an impact on individuals’ preferences for freshwater ecosystem services. By considering the type of infrastructures within the choice model, the authors gained a richer understanding of the relationship between social welfare and freshwater ecosystem services.
Related Case Studies
This case study advocates for the incorporation of natural and nature-based infrastructure (NNBI) methodologies into coastal infrastructure projects in the United States to ensure the dual goals of the safety of coastal communities and the sustainment and restoration of ecosystem functions along coasts.
This paper provides an analysis of the importance and analytical potential of indirect flows in Italy. First, the importance of indirect flows is discussed, including a definition and instructions on calculation. This is followed by a detailed analysis of the Italian case, including several decompositions. Last, the paper concludes that indirect flows are quantitatively and qualitatively important and policy relevant and provides an outlook of their potential for future analysis.
This pilot study addresses the cost-effective spatial development of a well-connected green infrastructure relevant to the integration of forest, agri-environment, and regional development policies.
This study assesses multiple benefits (environmental, social, and economic) provided by a multi-purpose green infrastructure (a series of constructed wetlands surrounded by a park) in a peri-urban area and compare it with the alternative grey infrastructure and with the previous situation (a poplar plantation). The study area is located in Gorla Maggiore, a small municipality in northern Italy. A multi-criteria analysis was applied as a basis for integrated valuation.