Public Attitudes, Preferences and Willingness to Pay for River Ecosystem Services

Dados Bibliográficos

ID15475591
AutoresImran Khan (0000-0002-2069-7410, Northwest A&F University, autor correspondente), Hongdou Lei (Northwest A&F University), Ghazanfer Ali (0000-0001-9415-7719, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar), Shahid Ali (0000-0001-9242-2136, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar), Minjuan Zhao (0000-0002-0986-0213, Northwest A&F University, autor correspondente)
Ano2019
Volume16
Fascículo19
Páginas3707-3707
Data de publicação2019-10-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
EditoraMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph16193707
PMID31581565
OpenAlexW2978275228
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas6
Referências citadas44

River basins are key sources of ecosystem services, with a wide range of social and economic benefits and many effects on human well-being. However, intensified land use and other dramatic variations in river ecosystems can alter ecosystem functions and services. In this study, we explored the public awareness, attitude and perception regarding environmental and water resource issues and assessed the willingness to pay (WTP) for improving selected attributes of the Wei River basin. Various rankings, Likert scales and random parameter logit (RPL) models were used to analyze data obtained from 900 surveyed respondents. Most respondents were more concerned about environmental and water resource management issues rather than socioeconomic attributes. From a policy perspective, 83.32% and 50.50% of the residents ranked "improvement in water quality" and "improving irrigation conditions," respectively, as their main priorities regarding ecological restoration. Moreover, the results obtained using RPL models showed that the coefficients were significant for all ecological attributes and monetary attributes, as expected. The positive and significant coefficient for the alternative specific constant demonstrated that the respondents preferred restoration alternatives to the status quo. Furthermore, the highest WTP was found for water quality (91.99 RMB), followed by erosion intensity (23.59 RMB) and water quantity (11.79 RMB). Our results are relevant to policy development and they indicate that ecological restoration is the favored option

Business · China · Economics · Ecosystem · Ecosystem services · Environmental health · Environmental resource management · Geography · Renminbi · Socioeconomic status · Water quality · Willingness to pay · Economic and Environmental Valuation · Environmental Science · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Urban Green Space and Health · Ecology