Discussion of results

The table below shows the results from the CBA. The results are indicative due to the assumptions being made, but some conclusions can be drawn from them. From the perspective of a single site, restoring the connection of wetlands with the main river does not seem economically viable, as the net present value (NPV) is negative, and the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) is below 1.0. However, on the basin scale, it is a very viable intervention. These results are mainly dependent on the assumption made for the value of the benefits for fisheries. At the site level, the benefits from the revenues in fisheries due to the project are rather modest, as it is assumed that the catch will increase by 5% to 10%. The present total benefits for the site are about USD 80,000 / year. If this would be around USD 160,000, the project would break even at the site level. Taking into account that several of the benefits cannot be quantified, such as revenues from composting, cost savings from reduction in chemical use, and non-use values, USD 160,000 may be achievable.

At the basin level, the benefits from fisheries are more than 98% of the benefits, with the remainder the benefits from tourism and flood impact reduction. Hence, for a more accurate CBA, it would be important to properly quantify the impact of restoring 25% of the wetlands on the fish caught in the basin.

_{Table. Results of the CBA for reconnecting wetlands, Present USD values at 6% discount rate over a 50 year project lifetime}