Valuing Natural Ecosystems: The Case of National Park Kotychi-Strofilia in Peloponnese, Greece

Abstract Ecosystem services are among the environmental goods that not directly included in market mechanism, hindering their integration framework of cost-benefit analysis. To fill this gap, valuation techniques can provide useful insights as regards economic value ecosystems, facilitating decision-making processes. The present work values an extremely sensitive and protected ecosystem Southern Peloponnese, namely National Park Waterfalls Kotychi – Strofilia, which comprises one largest pine forests Europe (Strofilia) several important wetlands lagoons (Kotychi). Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) has been implemented for valuing park question depicting how results analysis be used decision making. was supported by a survey residents wider area, through completion appropriately designed questionnaire, with view to estimate expenditures socially acceptable allocated its restoration protection. showed mean willingness pay per household protect national under consideration ranges between 5.5-9.5 EURs/semester period 4 years, leading total ecosystems 14.7-25.5 million EURs.