The publication of this Handbook was supported by the Russian Federation

I.P. Aidarov (Russia)
The main principle of  environmental protection law stipulates that no use of  natural resources can 
be justified, if  profits from it do not exceed the damage caused by it [2].
Assessments of  ecological benefits and cost effectiveness of  the amelioration of  salt-affected soils 
and all other environmental management projects involve the use of  net present value (NPV):
 (6.1)
where: P – results obtained at a certain time t of  the calculation period T, rub. 3 – expenses at 
the time t, including the current expenses, rub.; И – damages to the environment including plants 
and animals, water and soils and local people, rub.; E
H
 – adjusted present value coefficient that 
characterizes permissible risk of  environmental damage in the future. E
H
 = 2-3 %.
At the current time, the adjusted present value (APV) coefficient is often considered as profit rate 
(6-8%), which does not comply with environmental protection laws; T – assessed period, years; К – 
financial investments, rub./ha. The values of  P, З and И are determined as difference between non-
ameliorated and ameliorated land parameters. An obligatory requirement of  investment project 
efficiency is that NPV > 0.
Ecological damage in its first approximation can be estimated from changes in the biodiversity level 
and the value of  ecosystem services: