Estimation of Rural Households’ Willingness to Accept Two PES Programs and Their Service Valuation in the Miyun Reservoir Catchment, China

Hao Li, Xiaohui Yang, Xiao Zhang, Yuyan Liu and Kebin Zhang
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Hao Li: School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Xiaohui Yang: Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Xiao Zhang: Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Yuyan Liu: School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Kebin Zhang: School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: As the only surface water source for Beijing, the Miyun Reservoir and its catchment (MRC) are a focus for concern about the degradation of ecosystem services (ES) unless appropriate payments for ecosystem services (PES) are in place. This study used the contingent valuation method (CVM) to estimate the costs of two new PES programs, for agriculture and forestry, and to further calculate the economic value of ES in the MRC from the perspective of local rural households’ willingness to accept (WTA). The results of Logit model including WTA and the variables of household and village indicate that the local socio-economic context has complex effects on the WTA of rural households. In particular, the bid amount, location and proportion of off-farm employment would have significant positive effects on the local WTA. In contrast, the insignificance of the PES participation variable suggests that previous PES program experiences may negatively impact subsequent program participation. The mean WTA payments for agriculture and forestry PES programs were estimated as 8531 and 8187 yuan/ha/year, respectively. These results consistently explain the differentiated opportunity costs on both farmland and forestry land. Meanwhile, the differentiated WTA values in Beijing vs. the surrounding Hebei Province follow the interest differences and development gaps between jurisdictions. Finally, the total economic value of ES in the MRC area was estimated at 11.1 billion yuan/year). The rational economic value of ES for the restoration priority areas reaches 515.2 million yuan/year. For the existing budget gap (299 million yuan/year), the study proposed that decision makers increase the water tariff by 0.08 yuan to raise the funds needed. The study also concluded that these results are not only financially and politically feasible but also cost-effective. This study has policy implications for improving the implementation efficiency and providing quantified supports for PES programs in megacity source water area.

Keywords: water crisis; Payment for Ecosystem Services; valuation; willingness to accept; Miyun Reservoir; contingent valuation method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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