Economic valuation of recreational and tourism

activities in estuarine services to the community at

Martín Peña Channel

Team:

Elvis Torres Delgado

Ana Trujillo

Xian Wang

Background

Research Motivation, Main Goal

Objectives and Methods

Questions

Background

The Martín Peña Channel (MPC) takes place in San Juan, Puerto

Rico with around 26,000 inhabitants divided in 8 communities.

The Martín Peña Channel (MPC) takes place in San Juan, Puerto

Rico with around 26,000 inhabitants divided in 8 communities.

The quick and poorly planned urbanization process has sparked

water pollution, coliform bacteria (no system sewage), and low

quality of food (fishing), along other public health problems.

The quick and poorly planned urbanization process has sparked

water pollution, coliform bacteria (no system sewage), and low

quality of food (fishing), along other public health problems.

Since 1930 the MPC began to change its morphology because

the area was filled with debris and trash to build housing units

and other concrete structures along the channel.

Since 1930 the MPC began to change its morphology because

the area was filled with debris and trash to build housing units

and other concrete structures along the channel.

4

5

MPC could be a great place for tourism and aquatic activities.

Several attempts have been done to restore the

channel and use it as a tourist attraction, but the

level of deterioration of this place has made it

impossible to get the necessary permissions.

3.Research Motivation

This area was used before for fishing and recreation.

3.Some Abbreviations

H: Hypotesis

G: Goal we pursue.

M: Method; how are we going to tackle it.

8

• G: Describe the process of how the ecosystem structure and process has changed during the last 30 years.

• M: Do an analysis using remote sensing techniques that allows to see the changes in the channel's land use or find and analyze literature in which those are already documented.

• H: The channel’s land use has changed a lot along the years and these have affected water flux, which has in turn affected water quality. (We know it).

Objectives and Methods

9

• G: Confirm that the MPC has a bad state of water quality and that it is the main barrier in using this area as a touristic zone.

• M: Evaluate existing information for previous water quality studies in which they have found a increasing concentration of coliform bacteria during the years and compare the state of the MPC with other areas in which they offer aquatic activities.

• H: MPC water quality will be worse than the others and if it was to improved, many more touristic services could be offered.

Objectives and Methods

10

• G: Evaluate how to improve aquatic and touristic activities that are and could be offered in the channel if it was in a better condition.

• M: Study the recreational and touristic activities offered in nearby water bodies, like San Juan Bay, which could be offered at the MPC.

• H: With better water condition, we would be able to add better and more profitable aquatic and touristic activities.

Objectives and Methods

11

• G: Compare the economic value that similar places get offering similar services like those that could be done in the channel.

• M: Ask companies representatives that offer these services for an estimate income of the different activities.

• H: Companies make a rational profit from touristic activities that can also be implemented on the MPC.

Objectives and Methods

12

• G: Identify the areas that have best touristic potential (high economic gain without much monetary investment) and how can these be adapted for it.

• M: Spatial analysis (buffer analysis) to select the sites. Identify those activities that could be attractive to tourists and study the initial investment and later gains and evaluate the most cost-effective activities.

• H: There will be cheap but profitable activities that can be implemented on the MPC.

Objectives and Methods

13

• G: Do an economic valuation of the actual and potential touristic activities at the channel.

• M: Make surveys to evaluate the interest of locals into visiting the area and participate in the activities and the amount of money people will be willing to pay to do certain activities.

• H: Locals will be willing to pay to participate in recreational activities along the MPC.

Objectives and Methods

14

Questions?

Gracias ！！！