**4. Results and discussion**

Of the 22 peer-reviewed articles included in this review on economic value of recreational ecosystem services in India; however there is the (12) studies on forest cultural ecosystem services various, (5) lake ecosystem services and each one from botanical garden, zoological park and marine ecosystem services parts of the country (**Figure 2**). While there is wide range of 9 states covered, the states with most publications are the Karnataka (9), Uttarakhand (8), Tamil Nadu (3) and Kerala (2). However, most the studies have used mixed methods both the qualitative and quantitative assessment for economic value of cultural ecosystem services in Karnataka. According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment [1] classified there are ten types of cultural ecosystem services see **Table 1**. Hence, most of the CES focused on recreational tourism ecosystem services in India. However, better understanding with cultural ecosystem services which is created good human

*Economic Value of Cultural Ecosystem Services in India: A Review DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98892*

*Type of Ecosystem services and number of estimates. Source: Author estimates from various publications.*

well-being [30, 31]. Therefore, need more studies on cultural value of ecosystem services. The present review is found that total economic value of 22 cultural ecosystem services at the US\$ 1610 million in the 2020 (see **Figure 3**). Moreover, the value of forest related cultural ecosystems services is contributes more economic value at the US\$ 657.51 million followed by marine and costal services US\$ 720 and wetland land contribute US\$205, open green space US\$23 million and zoological park related cultural ecosystem services US\$ 4.4 million (see **Figure 3**). Forest related cultural ecosystem services are vital role in the cultural ecosystems services for example, Karnataka has more than fifteen protected areas such as national park, wildlife sanctuary and tiger reserve. This present study is found that the value of recreational ecosystem services contribute at the US\$ 434.6 million from Karnataka, US\$ 6.705 million from Uttarakhand and Kerala US\$ 205 million and other states have contributed few amounts in the total economic value of

#### **Figure 3.**

*Economic Value Recreational Ecosystem Services in India in US\$ (2019–-2020). Source: Author estimates from various publications.*

cultural ecosystem services. Moreover, this study is found that the value of two global biological diversity such as Western Ghats and eastern Himalayas. The total value of recreational ecosystem services is contributed by the Himalayas at the US\$ 14.5 million and the Western Ghats the US\$ 1,595.5 million based on 22 publications. There are number of cultural ecosystem services has been investigated in the Himalayas, due to lack of literature collection this study is included very few publication from the particular region. There are only four articles has published in the *Ecosystem Services* journal for example, Verma et al. [27] the value of cultural ecosystem services provided by the five tiger reserves at the US\$ 13.8 million from (Corbett Tiger Reserve, Kanha Tiger Reserve, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, Periyar Tiger Reserve and Sundarbans Tiger Reserve), followed by Ninan and Kontoleon (2016) had estimated the value of recreational ecosystem services at the US\$ 0.41 million by Nagarhole national park in Karnataka. A few articles has published in Springer published such as environmentalist for example, Badola et al. (2010) estimated the economic value of recreational ecosystem services at the US\$ 1.6 million by Corbett tiger reserve in Uttarakhand followed by Ramachandra et al. (2017) assessed the value of tourism and recreational services work has published the journal of Biodiversity (Routledge Taylor & Francis Group). In addition two working paper by research institutes such as wetland ecosystem services, (Vengatachalam and Jayanthi, 2015) and marine and coastal Mukhopadhyay and de Costa [25], followed by other refereed journal such as Aarthika Charche FPI Journal of Economics and Governance, Government of Karnataka on valuation of ecosystem services two protected areas [29] and Monograph on Economic value of ecosystem services by urban botanical garden estimated by [32].

Ecosystem services are very critical role in the human life [33]. The recent economics of biodiversity review by [34] indicates that the current economic and population growth is degrading and over exploiting natural capital in this century. In addition, the current economic models of growth are inessential form especially non-renewable natural resources. Further, Balvanera et al. [29] argues demographic pressures, climate change and lack of governance are the main reasons for most of the environmental degradation or pollution. MEA [1] has estimated that 60% of the global ecosystem services including provisioning, regulating and cultural services are degraded due to various socio, economic and political reasons. There is increasing understand strategies on better and sustainable environmental management through the cultural ecosystem services. Therefore, the present review is one of the tool for better understand between economy and cultural ecosystem services in the Indian context. There are a number of review work has been done in the cultural ecosystem services for example, cultural ecosystem services and human well-being [10; 35–37]. Although, very few economic review on economics of cultural ecosystem services for example, Hirons et al., [11]; Fish et al., (2016); Plieninger et al., (2013). In India, lack of economic value of cultural ecosystem services in the aspects of meta-review. There is some few studies review of economics value of regulating ecosystem services [32] and a new study on value of marine and coastal ecosystem services by Mukhopadhyay and de Costa [25]. However, increasing number of studies on economic of provisioning ecosystem services for example, Verma et al. [27]; Ninan and Kontoleon (2016); Balasubramanian [5, 29, 38, 39]; Dhyani and Dhyani [34, 40–43] but lack of review on economic value of cultural ecosystem services. In addition, there are a less in interdisciplinary analysis in the research. Therefore, the current review work mainly focusing on economic value of cultural ecosystem services especially recreational perspective. Moreover, cultural ecosystem services how relating with the human-well being research is totally missing in the literature in India. The recent study evaluated the relationship between cultural ecosystem services and human well-being of the two indigenous communities in India [9].

*Economic Value of Cultural Ecosystem Services in India: A Review DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98892*

The value of cultural ecosystem services may help to local and indigenous communities through the traditional health treatment based on purely natural medicine as well as income and environmental conservation at the local level [5, 33]. The value of cultural ecosystem services may help to local policy markers on various aspects such as designing urban green infrastructure, revising the entry fee for the many urban parks and protected areas, cultural ecosystem services into integrating into economic decision making at the local level, achieving sustainable development goals especially better environmental management.
