Abstract
AbstractProximate stressors such as destructive fishing are key drivers of coral reef degradation. Conservation strategies that marshal local action and are tailored to the preferences of the target group are thus needed to sustain coral resources. We experimentally analyze the behavior of marine resource users in a coastal village in Indonesia to gain insight into whether people prefer to donate time or money to environmental or other charitable causes. Each person is subject to one of four treatments: monetary donation, monetary donation match, volunteer time donation, and volunteer time donation match. Contrasting with the existing literature, we find that participants give significantly more when donating money compared to time. We also find that matching donations increases the percent of people giving but does not increase the amount donated. This research furthers our understanding of what motivates resource users in a developing country to contribute to the provision of public goods.
Highlights
Fisheries are among the key proximate stressors that threaten coral reefs and marine biodiversity
It is widely accepted that behavioral economic experiments are useful in identifying human preferences and behavior, yet conservation science has all but ignored this potential (Cowling 2014; Reddy et al 2016)
We focus on marine resource users, the methods used are not restricted to a marine context and could be applied across different countries and settings
Summary
Fisheries are among the key proximate stressors that threaten coral reefs and marine biodiversity. Conservation science often focuses on ecological research that documents losses and identifies causes for decline (Veríssimo et al 2011). It is widely accepted that behavioral economic experiments are useful in identifying human preferences and behavior, yet conservation science has all but ignored this potential (Cowling 2014; Reddy et al 2016). The provision of public goods is essential for socio-economic development, yet there is limited experimental evidence testing various measures that influence contributions to real public goods in developing countries – where coral reefs are prevalent (Carlsson et al 2015; Rode et al 2015). To our knowledge, there are no field studies that compare voluntary contributions of money and time
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