Canada’s Wealth of Natural Capital: Rouge National Park

Published by: David Suzuki Foundation
Authored by: Sara Wilson

Cities eco-assets, Ontario, community and culture, agriculture, policy and regulation, conservation, water systems, land use, economics, natural capital

This report provides the first-ever estimate of the economic value of ecosystem services provided by Canada’s future Rouge National Park and its surrounding watersheds. Using valuation techniques from the field of natural capital economics, the report estimates that the Rouge region’s rich tapestry of natural, agricultural and cultural assets provide more than $115 million in economic benefits each year, including $12.5 million in benefits from the almost 6,000-hectare proposed Rouge National Park. The report also provides recommendations for legal, policy and conservation efforts that should be undertaken to ensure the Rouge’s ecological health and economic value is maintained in the long term.