Economic appraisal of ecosystem services and restoration scenarios in a tropical coastal Ramsar wetland in India

• Environmental status, ecosystem services and restoration scenarios assessed. Field surveys, stakeholder workshops, a non-market valuation implemented. Water quality, sustainable fisheries mangrove conservation investigated. Mangrove provides the highest utility followed by water quality. Costs of modest to Ashtamudi lake comparable with benefits. Valuation can play an important role in guiding decision-making concerning natural ecosystems which is particularly tropical coastal wetlands due their widespread deterioration. This study investigates environmental status provision key Ramsar site Kerala, India, explores feasibility wetland through multi-year program involving primary market data collection, stated preference valuation. Relying on input local stakeholders, we apply choice experiment estimate willingness pay for focus fisheries. Results indicate that stakeholders attribute greatest value conservation, quality sustainably managed Furthermore, show residents’ moderate improvement may outweigh potential cost projects, especially objectives even under conservative assumptions regarding benefits costs restoration. We discuss how such results inform policy development management practices act as benchmark extensive network Kerala.