Assessing Tradeoffs between Development and Conservation: A Case of Land Use Change in a National Park of Korea

Miju Kim, Sangkwon Lee and Chi-Ok Oh
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Miju Kim: Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Sangkwon Lee: College of Arts, Sciences, Business and Education, Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC 27110, USA
Chi-Ok Oh: Graduate School of Culture, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Protected areas are places that provide diverse ecosystem services, including cultural ecosystem services. At the same time, the development and unbalanced use of natural resources in protected areas often create environmental threats and social conflicts. This study estimates the economic value of environmental consequences derived from the construction of an airport in a national park in Korea. We employ a discrete choice experiment to assess economic values and consider a key part of the tradeoffs derived from the airport construction at Heuksan Island of Dadohae Marine National Park in Korea. The results show that social benefits related to improved accessibility and tourism opportunities would be generated but at substantial costs resulting from environmental degradation and the reduction in bird populations. A segmentation analysis also reveals that heterogeneous preferences exist based on variables reflecting individuals’ visit experiences and trust in the government. The findings indicate that considering environmental impacts is important when evaluating the feasibility of a development project in a protected area.

Keywords: conservation; development; protected areas; national park; nonmarket valuation; discrete choice experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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