Valuing lagoons using a meta-analytical approach: methodological and practical issues

Lagoons are naturally complex ecosystems whose dynamics are strongly influenced by anthropic factors. Therefore, their value depends not only on their characteristics but also on the nature of the interactions, whether positive or negative, between mankind and nature. Starting from a representative set of 31 original studies exclusively devoted to coastal lagoons valuation, we estimate a meta-analytic function of value transfer. Using a resampling technique, we then determine a transfer value and find a mean transfer error of 87% and a median error equal to 24%, between the predicted value and the original ones. This raises the problem of divergences between individual valuations for natural assets.