Valuing Mangrove Conservation Attributes in Red River Delta, Vietnam: A Choice Experiment Approach

Abstract

The study aims at valuing mangrove ecosystem services in Xuan Thuy National Park, Red River Delta, Vietnam. A discrete choice experiment was employed to elicit household willingness to pay (WTP) for a community project to protect mangroves against climate change. A conditional logit model and a random parameter logit model were estimated to identify the relationships between WTP and the different attributes of the mangrove conservation project. The results suggested that local households exhibited strong preferences for mangrove coverage area and storm-prevention capacity, whereas most respondents did not perceive biodiversity benefits. A high level of heterogeneity in household preferences was found for high mangrove coverage and high management level of biodiversity. Furthermore, marginal household WTPs were computed given a change in each attribute level. Hence, the findings will aid in the development of a comprehensive payment for mangrove preservation policy in Vietnam.