Preferred Attributes for Sustainable Wetland Management in Mpologoma Catchment, Uganda: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Jackson Bunyangha, Agnes. W. N. Muthumbi, Anthony Egeru, Robert Asiimwe, Dunston W. Ulwodi, Nathan. N. Gichuki and Mwanjalolo. J. G. Majaliwa
Additional contact information
Jackson Bunyangha: Department of Science, Technical and Vocational Education, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda
Agnes. W. N. Muthumbi: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 30197, Kenya
Anthony Egeru: Department of Environmental Management, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda
Robert Asiimwe: Department of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda
Dunston W. Ulwodi: The National Treasury and Planning, Nairobi P.O. Box 30007-00100, Kenya
Nathan. N. Gichuki: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 30197, Kenya
Mwanjalolo. J. G. Majaliwa: The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture, Makerere University Main Campus, 151/155 Garden Hill Rd., Wandegeya P.O. Box 16811, Uganda

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: Sustainable wetland management is a focus of many countries worldwide. These mainly use protection as a key policy directive for conservation. However, avoidance directives tend to disenfranchise local populations. Thus, such management is often resisted and rarely effective. Tailoring management strategies to user preferences allows conservation to support community livelihoods for sustainable development. This study employed a discrete choice experiment to determine the wetland management attributes preferred by residents of Mpologoma catchment as a prelude to developing a co-management system. Listed in descending order, attribute preferences were paddy farmers’ schemes, fish farming, education and research, protected wetland area, and recreation and tourism. Respondents’ characteristics influenced their choices. Older adults were more likely to support fish farming. In contrast, existing paddy farmers tended to resist such focuses and an increase in protected wetland area. Additionally, respondents with higher education were opposed to paddy farmers’ schemes, and the preference for education and research was positively influenced by respondents’ income. Respondents were willing to pay between $0.64 and $1.76 per household for each unit improvement in the preferred attribute. Our results underscore the role of DCEs in unlocking individuals’ attribute preferences, whose integration into co-management systems can be important for sustainable wetland conservation.

Keywords: wetland attributes; willingness to pay; ecosystem services; sustainable wetlands; discrete choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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