Valuing the Economic Benefits of Controlling Off-Site Effects of Soil Erosion: Empirical Evidence from the Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia

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2013-07

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Abstract

This study seeks to estimate the economic benefits of controlling off-site effects of soil erosion and identify determinants of WTP in Kufanzik area of eastern highlands, Ethiopia. A DB CVM survey was conducted on 134 randomly selected rural households to elicit preferences for controlling the off-site effects. Using a Pooled Probit model we have estimated the mean WTP & identified the determinant factors. The result indicates that controlling the off-site effects of soil erosion offers a welfare gain of 84.41 ETB. Income, level of education and off-site damage experience are the significant factors affecting WTP. The estimated values are indicative of the WTP potentials of the local community and hence designing a bottom-up approach of intervention might work better. In line with this the study considers the possibilities of implementing a market based mechanism of payment for environmental services (PES) and recommend further studies on WTA.

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Natural Resource and Environmental Economics

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