KLEINMOND – Lauren Josias, a student at the University of Stellenbosch, recently completed her Masters of Philosophy (Cum laude) on the topic Valuing preferences for changes in open-water space and water quality in the Kleinmond Estuary: A discrete choice experiment. The Kleinmond Nature Conservation Society (KNCS) financially contributed to the research as we are concerned about the growing impact of the reeds in the estuary.

At a function held on 5 March at the Kleinmond library, Lauren presented her research and findings.

The Kleinmond estuary is an important recreational site for residents and visitors, contributing significantly to the local economy through tourism. Despite the estuary’s recreational and broader ecological significance, it faces challenges such as water contamination and accelerating reed growth limiting its appeal for recreational use.

These issues necessitate management interventions, which are often costly and can potentially negatively impact on the town’s economy. The economic value of the estuary’s recreational services, parti-cularly the role of water quality and open-water space in user experiences and decisions are not ad-equately understood. The research aimed to address this knowledge gap and pro-vide evidence to support decision-making for targeted reed and water quality management.

The study used a choice experiment to determine the marginal economic value and to reveal recreational users’ preferences for im-provements in open-water space and water quality in the estuary to inform potential investment in and better management of the estuary. This will ensure a sustained flow of benefits to the local community and the economy of the town.

The results from the choice experiment revealed clear preferences among visitors. The willingness to pay (WTP) was highest for a significant increase in kayaking space (R156.43), followed by a WTP to avoid a moderate risk of water contamination (R144.04) and a WTP for a significant increase in views of the water (R105.81).

The research further re-commended that while the removal of reeds may in-crease recreational benefits by increasing open-water space in the estuary, it is important to acknowledge the potential loss of their water purification function. Given this, reed removal must be approached with caution and should not be viewed as a standalone solution. Instead, it should be integrated into a broader estuary management stra-tegy that includes addressing the sources of pollution, particularly nutrient inputs from the catchment area.

Carl Swart