Economic valuation of environmental service through an auction-type model in Basaltic Prisms, Hidalgo

Abstract

The history of the Basaltic Prisms (BP) begins in 1975, when the grandparents of the current managers of this natural resource saw a self-employment opportunity in its use for touristic purposes. Today, the problem affecting the waters of the San Antonio Dam, and therefore the BP, is caused by the sewage being poured from the drains of Huasca de Ocampo. Damages have been observed in the green areas; some trees suffer from pests and diseases. These issues call for specialized treatment; besides, many trees require pruning, in other words, the practice of urban forestry. The location also demands reforestation. These elements justify the assessment of the value of the environment and, therefore, are highly important. For this study the contingent valuation method (CVM) with a bidding format was used. Most of the variables of the auction-type model exposed have low statistical significance. The two with statistical relevance are age and marital status; all other variables may behave very differently from the established point of view. The bidding estimated the price, taking into consideration the variables age and marital status, with a willingness to pay (WTP) of 13.78 MXN for the aim to improve the environment, as part of the entrance fee.