Valuing Alternative Resource Management Practices to Improve Eco-System Services in the Midland and Lowland Communities in Bale Eco-Region: Application of Choice Modeling
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2016-10
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
and Kenya, are estimated to directly or indirectly depend on several ecosystem services of the BER. However, BER is degraded and eco-system functions in the eco-region are extremely disturbed. To reverse these problems interventions such as reforestation/aforestation, SWC, exclosure, etc are needed. Valuing alternative resource management practices in the BER can be important to maintain eco-system health and functions in the BER. Overall, analyzing preferences of community who uses ecosystem services of BER can greatly inform efforts to bring unsustainable resource use under control in BER. This study analyzed the preferences of community in the BER for improved ecosystem benefits of the eco-region and estimates their Willingness to Pay (WTP) for selected attributes using a choice modeling approach. Mixed logit models were estimated as analytical tools. The study is based on household level data collected in 2016 from 200 randomly drawn households living in midland (Kumbi kebele) and lowland (Melka Arba) of Harena Buluk woreda, Bale zone. Results from reforestation and exclosure attributes revealed both midland and lowland community are WTP considerable amount of money for eco-system service improvement. Midland respondents Marginal Willingness To Pay(MWTP) for improvement on soil erosion, CO2 storage and non-timber forest product were 34.45, 32.62 and 31.59 ETB per year respectively, whereas lowland respondents MWTP to reduce soil erosion, to improve biodiversity enrichment, livestock feed availability and exclosure with watering points were 24.20, 16.60, 280 and 129 ETB per year respectively. The compensating surplus, which reflect the overall WTP of respondents for changes from the status quo to alternative improved scenarios show that midland communities’ average WTP for reforestation characteristics were 3053($145.38), 2516($119.83) and 1827($87) ETB/year for higher, medium and low impact improvement scenario and lowland respondents mean WTP for exclosure characteristics were 882($42), 1558($74.19), and 2383($113) ETB annually for low , medium and high impact improvement scenarios respectively. Since we were not confident with the value of MWTP and compensating surplus estimated from insignificant payment level, we didn’t report their value in this study. Management strategies that fully involve local communities at all stages of implementation, starting from preferred attributes selection, may help development planners and practitioners to address the problems associated to ecosystems.
Key words: BER, willingness to pay, eco-system services, choice experiment
Description
Keywords
BER, willingness to pay, eco-system services, choice experiment