Economic Valuation of the Aruah Islands Marine Protected Area, Indonesia

Conservation or protection is the right step in an effort to preserve and utilize biological natural resources and their ecosystems so that they can be sustainable. The Aruah Islands, as one of the protected areas in Riau Province, have marine biodiversity such as coral reefs and turtle spawning habitats. Currently, the most important issue in the Aruah Islands is the sustainability and conservation of environmental resources. Economic assessment is an effective operational tool to design policies related to its sustainable use. The method used is the survey method. The data collected are primary data and secondary data. Economic valuations are calculated using the Total Economic Value (NET). The results of the study show that the Aruah Islands marine protected area has a total economic value of IDR 6,669,882,695.04 per year, which is mostly contributed by the benefits of the existence of the region's ecosystem of 44.27 percent, or around IDR 2,951,521,667 per year.