Recreational benefits of coastal protection: a case study

In the UK, cost–benefit analysis of coastal protection schemes that expect to receive grant assistance is required by H.M. Government. A recommended procedure for evaluating the recreational benefits of coastal protection is based on a variant of contingent valuation methodology (CVM), and involves the estimation of the gains and losses in the value of enjoyment by beach users associated with different project scenarios (including the option of allowing erosion to occur). The paper reports the results of a study which applies this approach to coastal protection at an important UK seaside resort. It focusses on the suitability of the value of enjoyment (VOE) elicitation method, and stresses the need to test the validity of the results from all such studies that apply this approach.