The value of endangered forest elephants to local communities in a transboundary conservation landscape

Jonas Ngouhouo Poufoun, Jens Abildtrup, Dénis Jean Sonwa and Philippe Delacote
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Jonas NGOUHOUO-POUFOUN

Ecological Economics, 2016, vol. 126, issue C, 70-86

Abstract: This paper seeks to determine and characterize social and cultural preferences for the conservation of endangered forest elephants (EFEs) in the Congo Basins Tridom Landscape. Using unique data from a stratified, random, face-to-face survey with 1,035 households in 108 villages in 2014, we combine double-bounded dichotomous choice with open-ended elicitation formats to assess the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for EFE conservation. We find that local households are willing to pay CFA 1,139.4 (€1.74) per month to prevent EFE extinction. This totals CFA 753.9 million (€1.15 million) per year for all inhabitants. Indigenousness positively influences the WTP for EFE conservation. Spatial data suggest that local communities prefer that elephants remain far from their crops. The existence of human-elephant conflicts has a neutral effect on preferences for EFE conservation. Therefore, our study suggests that local communities would engage in biodiversity preservation when the public benefits of conservation are accompanied by private benefits, such as human-elephant conflict avoidance.

Keywords: Forest elephant extinction; Indigenous people; Contingent valuation; WTP; Interval regression model; Double-hurdle model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C24 Q (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:126:y:2016:i:c:p:70-86

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.04.004

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