Increase of Economic Efficiency of the State Natural National Park "Curonian Spit"

In the late 1990s experts of the group of companies "Resources and Consulting" conducted work on the economic evaluation of natural resources of the Yaroslavl region. As a result, they analyzed the existing system of accounting and assessment of natural resources and carried out basic economic assessments in a number of municipal districts. The continuation of this research was work on the creation of a system of integrated environmental and economic accounting, consistent with the current approaches of the United Nations. Subsequently, we were disseminating the results of monetary estimates of natural resources in order to improve the management of environmental protection in the regions of the country. The peculiarity of such assessments lies in the fact that they are based on approaches to the development and use of the methodology of environmental and economic accounting recommended by the UN, which involves the use of various methods for assessing natural resources - market (direct and indirect), subjective (based on people's perceptions of social-economic value of natural resources), etc.

Among others, we carried out an economic assessment of the ecosystem services provided by the Curonian Spit, and proposed a strategy for raising the incomes of the State Natural Park "Curonian Spit". The conducted studies contributed to the development of an effective strategy for increasing the revenues of the national park, and also created an effective economic mechanism for compliance with environmental regulations and restrictions.

During the works we:

- established and trained a working group in the Kaliningrad region capable of independent carrying out the economic valuation of natural resources at a level meeting modern international and Russian requirements;

- assessed the use of a specific natural facility in the Kaliningrad region - the Curonian Spit - and the main ecosystem services it provides;

- defined the economic basis for the development of the strategy for increasing the revenues of the "Curonian Spit", as well as proposals for improving the economic mechanism for financing PAs in the Kaliningrad region.

Based on the results and the conclusions of the work, we proposed recommendations for improving the management of the state natural national park "Curonian Spit" and improving its financing.

More information on the topic can be found in the monograph "Increasing the Economic Efficiency of the State Natural National Park "Curonian Spit ".