Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Project Area Ecosystem Services Valuation Assessment

The assessment calculates a conservative annual economic value of CDN$121.35 to $130.30 million for the Pimachiowin Aki area, with fishing, water treatment, and carbon sequestration as the primary contributors. It distinguishes between values for resident and non-resident populations and highlights that the ecosystem benefits are approximately 28 times greater than the estimated public expenditures for conservation.

• The total conservative annual economic value of ecosystem services provided by the Pimachiowin Aki area is estimated between CDN$121.35 and $130.30 million.
• The most significant contributors to the conservative annual value are fishing (CDN$35.10 million), water treatment (CDN$31.83 million), and carbon sequestration (between CDN$12.32 and $21.27 million).
• The total carbon stock stored in the area's forests and peatlands is estimated to have a non-annual economic value of CDN$2.7 to $17.51 billion.
• The economic benefits derived from the area's ecosystem services are approximately 28 times higher than the estimated annual public expenditures of CDN$4.48 million used for park and forest fire management.
• Potential economic values, which were excluded from the conservative total due to data from more populated areas, include water supply from major rivers (CDN$0.27 to $5.55 billion/year), air filtration (CDN$350 to $600 million/year), and flood prevention (CDN$380 million/year).
• Hydro-power production attributed to the area's major rivers is estimated to generate a gross revenue stream of CDN$20.17 million per year.
• The assessment identifies that the area's wetlands provide a wastewater treatment service equivalent to a plant valued at CDN$31.83 million per year, assuming a nutrient load of one per cent of capture capacity.
• Cultural heritage value for non-residents is estimated at CDN$2.28 million per year, based on the willingness of Manitoba households to pay for the establishment of a conservation area of this size.

APA

Voora, V., & Barg, S. (2008). Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Project Area Ecosystem Services Valuation Assessment. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ecosystem_valuation.pdf

Chicago

Voora, Vivek, and Stephan Barg. Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Project Area Ecosystem Services Valuation Assessment. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2008. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ecosystem_valuation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Voora |first1=Vivek |last2=Barg |first2=Stephan |title=Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Project Area Ecosystem Services Valuation Assessment |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2008 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ecosystem_valuation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{voora2008pimachiowin, author = {Voora, Vivek and Barg, Stephan}, title = {{Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Project Area Ecosystem Services Valuation Assessment}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2008}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ecosystem_valuation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }