Willingness to pay for watershed conservation at Hulu Langat, Selangor

Abstract

This study attempted to estimate willingness to pay among the communities of Hulu Langat for watershed conservation. Dichotomous choice contingent valuation method was applied to estimate the willingness to pay. Face to face interview survey was conducted to obtain primary data for logit model estimation. The model estimation indicated that bid amount, income, occupation and residential area were the significant determinants influencing the communities' willingness to pay. Hulu Langat communities were willing to pay RM 10.13 per person monthly and the total benefits from watersheds conservation was about RM 27.7 million per year. The yearly aggregated amount provided ample financial resources for watershed conservation purpose. It was concluded that engagement of Hulu Langat watershed conservation initiatives was feasible for execution. © 2012 Asian Network for Scientific Information.