Who cares and how much? Narrative for advances in aquatic ecosystem services through non-market valuation with spatial dimensions using a discrete choice experiment

Abstract

Decision-making regarding valuation of ecosystems services regarding their improvements for life on planet could be exceptionally challenging as different disciplines and theoretical views consider value of ecosystems differently. To attain a better understanding of environmental quality status across Northwest China, a discrete choice experiment approach is carried out in the entire Wei River basin with a sample size of 900 households. A cluster of ecosystem services are put together in a planning alongside betterment in ecological conditions in a choice set. Random parameter logit models (RPL) are applied for estimating spatial heterogeneity in preferences and delta method is implemented to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) values of the sampled respondents for the improvements in the currently degraded ecosystem services. The results exhibit that preferences as well as WTP values are heterogenous at different spatial dimensions, for instance, water quality is highly valued in all selected regions followed by water loss and soil erosion intensity, while there exists heterogeneity in WTP for all other ecological attributes. Similarly, there exists heterogeneity in WTP between the sampled respondents of; upper, lower and middle basins as well as urban and rural areas. The lowest valued ecological attribute includes conditions of eco-tourism & forest park across all spatially distributed urban and rural areas, various regions and at sub-basins. The results indicated that households of the entire river basin are cautious concerning upgradation in the current degraded environmental quality as can be perceived from their corresponding WTP values. The categorical empirical results of our study hence suggest for the sustainable management and conservation of ecosystem services with better environmental quality.