Households Willingness to Pay for Improved Municipal Solid Waste Management in Dilla Town, Ethiopia
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Date
2019-10
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A.A.U.
Abstract
This study used a cross-sectional survey of 381 randomly selected respondents to investigate households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for improved municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in Dilla town. The survey was conducted using a direct face-to-face interview method. The study employed double-bounded followed by open-ended value elicitation format to estimate households’ mean WTP. The probit and tobit models were used to investigate the determinants of households WTP. The findings of the study revealed that there is a serious problem of MSWM in the town. The solid waste generated from the town is poorly managed. As a result, this is creating negative impacts on the environment, human health, and economic activities of residents. About 91.6 percent of the total respondents were willing to pay for improved MSWM. The results of the probit and tobit models revealed that income of households and awareness of respondents about the impacts of poorly managed solid waste on the environment have positive and significant effects on the households WTP response for the initial bids and on the households MWTP respectively. Age of the respondents and satisfaction with the existing system variables have also positive and negative significant effects on the households WTP response for the initial bids respectively. The solid waste generated by households, plan of households and duration variables have positive and significant effects on the households MWTP. The mean WTP values obtained from open-ended and double-bounded value elicitation formats are about ETB 10.7 and ETB 12.36 per month for a household respectively. This study recommended that the mean WTP can be used as a guide for the municipality to determine the socially acceptable fee. The local authorities should work hard on awareness creation for the residents about the impacts of poorly managed solid waste on the environment and human health through mass media and campaign. In order to create a clean, safe, and healthy environment in the town, both the local authorities and residents of the town should cooperate and take the responsibility of SWM.
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Keywords
Dilla Town, Ethiopia, Household, Waste Management