Natural environments in and around the South African coastal city of Durban provide goods and services to the national economy that amount to an estimated US$ 350 million (R 4.2 billion) each year. This ‘conservative estimate’ includes the value of resources that people collect from their natural surroundings, such as wild-harvested foods, firewood and timber, or water taken from rivers for home use.
This figure also reflects the value of ecosystem services, such as how forests and grasslands in the broader municipal area bank away atmospheric carbon or regulate water ow. It captures the cultural and tourism values as people appreciate these places for their natural beauty.
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