Estimating the willingness to pay of residents for the conservation of Haso Wetland using the contingent valuation method (CVM)

Wetland ecosystems account for about 6% of the global area. Greater scientific understanding of the roles of wetlands in ecosystem has increased public appreciation of them. Yet, for much of the recent past, wetlands have been destroyed or altered. The present study uses the contingent valuation method (CVM) to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP)of households of Inuyama city for the conservation of Hason wetland. Moreover, the study shows the difference the stated WTP of those households that are keen on environmental conservation from those that are not, in which the former tends to state a WTP value that is twice as much as the latter. In addition the study ecometrically analyses the socioeconomic factors that affect the WTP of the households.