Why are we interested to know the value of nature? How do we value nature? And, what is nature's exact value? We want to understand, how we should approach looking at the importance of nature and natural resources. That is the main aim. What is nature's value? The answer is all around us. Nature's value is shown in the way we are able to drink clean water, grow our food, breathe in fresh air etc. The value of nature is such that we are able to live in a world that provides for almost everything. At the same time, many also say nature has a value that we often find it hard to understand; this is partly because the things nature gives us is often considered as free. We do not pay a price for clean air, in some countries people do not pay much for water, and so we end up not realising that many ecosystem services that run around us everyday are vital.
Why do we fail to see that natural resources have a value? One reason is that natural resources often do not have market prices. They are not extrinsically useful; for example, we do not buy mangrove plants but they are useful in shielding coastal communities from strong winds and provide food for low flying birds.
We fail to appreciate nature, especially understand its value, because we do not really know the natural processes happening around us that make life on earth possible.
We enjoy agricultural products but we perhaps do not really know the contribution of bees. Bees hardly have a value until we realise that without the humble bee, we will not have almonds, cranberries etc.
Honey definitely has a use value, we value bees maybe only for the fact that they provide us with honey. We are killing the bees in the thousands; we are knowingly and sometimes unknowingly wiping away their population, when we use insecticides, pesticides etc.
Intrinsic value - much of nature's value is intrinsic. The value of mangrove plants is in protecting people; mangroves are a means of food for low flying birds, and they also are critical to the safety of people in coastal areas. That, unfortunately, seems to be under-valued.
The health we enjoy in our diet consisting of fruits and food that are made possible by pollination, is another reflection of nature's intrinsic and important value. The sensory experiences when we take a leisurely walk in the park and the fact that the walk enhances our mood and ultimately our health, is impossible to quantify.
