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The Role of Ambiguity in the Evaluation of the Net Benefits of the MOSE System in the Venice Lagoon

Author

Listed:
  • Fulvio Fontini

    (University of Padua)

  • Georg Umgiesser

    (ISMAR-CNR Venice)

  • Lucia Vergano

    (University of Padua)

Abstract

In this paper we apply the NEO-capacity framework to assess the role of ambiguity in a specific decision making problem. We first describe the framework and propose a graphical representation of the decision making functional. Then we apply it to a specific problem, namely, the role of ambiguity in the evaluation of the net benefits of the MOSE, the mobile barriers aimed to protect the Venice Lagoon from the periodic flooding (acqua alta). We show that the estimated impacts crucially depend on the level of optimism and pessimism of the decision maker and they substantially differ from the one calculated on the basis of the expected value. We also calculate the implicit ambiguity attitude of the decision maker.

Suggested Citation

  • Fulvio Fontini & Georg Umgiesser & Lucia Vergano, 2008. "The Role of Ambiguity in the Evaluation of the Net Benefits of the MOSE System in the Venice Lagoon," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0080, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    • Handle: RePEc:pad:wpaper:0080
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    Cited by:

    1. Caporin, Massimiliano & Fontini, Fulvio, 2014. "The Value of Protecting Venice from the Acqua Alta Phenomenon under Different Local Sea Level Rises," MPRA Paper 53779, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Francesco Angelini & Paolo Figini & Veronica Leoni, 2024. "High tide, low price? Flooding alerts and hotel prices in Venice," Tourism Economics, , vol. 30(4), pages 876-899, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Decision making under ambiguity; NEO-Capacity; MOSE; acqua alta;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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