A hedonic pricing technique to valuation of biodiversity in mining area in Goa

Goa's exploitation of its mining resources has impacted biodiversity of adjoining areas. This paper maps the mining and adjoining areas including households and uses a hedonic pricing approach to study impacts through loss of biodiversity in those areas. Bicholim and Valpoi were the areas studied. The price of land in India being set by government as guidance value provides a bench mark for the market price that is over and above this guidance value, and there are no official records of the same. This information can be obtained from real-estate agents or from the persons involved in the transaction. The author approached the house owners themselves. The perception of protected area and actual vegetation were divorced from reality as data, observation through mapping and analysis thereon reflected.