Institute of Urban Environment & Human Resources, Department of Economic and Regional Development, Panteion University, Kallithea, Athens, Greece.
School of Spatial Planning and Development, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019 Jun 4;13(6):e0007467. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007467. eCollection 2019 Jun.
The expansion of urban ecosystems and climate change, both outcomes of massive lifestyle changes, contribute to a series of side effects such as environmental deterioration, spread of diseases, increased greenhouse gas emissions and introduction of invasive species. In the case of the Athens metropolitan area, an invasive mosquito species-the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)-has spread widely in the last decade. This spread is favoured within urban environments and is also affected by changing climatic trends. The Asian tiger mosquito is accompanied by risks of mosquito-borne diseases, greater nuisance levels, and increased expenses incurring for its confrontation. The main aims of this paper are (i) to estimate the various costs associated with the control of this invasive species, as well as its health and nuisance impacts, (ii) to evaluate the level of citizens' well-being from averting these impacts and (iii) to record citizens' and experts' perceptions regarding alternative control measures. Evidence shows that experts tend to place a high value on mosquito control when associated with serious health risks, while citizens are more sensitive and concerned about the environmental impacts of control methods. The synthesis of results produced by the current study could act as a preliminary guide for the estimation of societal welfare from the confrontation of similar problems in the context of a complex ecosystem.
城市生态系统的扩张和气候变化，都是大规模生活方式改变的结果，导致了一系列副作用，如环境恶化、疾病传播、温室气体排放增加和入侵物种的引入。就雅典大都市区而言，一种入侵的蚊子物种——亚洲虎蚊（Aedes albopictus）——在过去十年中广泛传播。这种传播在城市环境中很受欢迎，也受到气候变化趋势的影响。亚洲虎蚊伴随着由蚊子传播的疾病的风险、更高的滋扰水平以及为应对其传播而增加的费用。本文的主要目的是：（i）估计控制这种入侵物种及其健康和滋扰影响所涉及的各种成本；（ii）评估避免这些影响对公民福利的影响水平；（iii）记录公民和专家对替代控制措施的看法。有证据表明，当与严重的健康风险相关联时，专家往往会高度重视蚊子的控制，而公民则对控制方法的环境影响更为敏感和关注。本研究结果的综合可以作为从复杂生态系统的类似问题的对抗中估计社会福利的初步指南。
