Resident and tourist preferences for stormwater management strategies in Oahu, Hawaii

Hawaiiʹs economy relies on its global reputation of its coastal marine environments. This paper studies residentsʹ and touristsʹ preferences for stormwater quality management strategies related to recreational beaches in Oahu, Hawaii. Using a Choice Experiment approach, we consider Willingness to pay for augmented efforts for Non-Structural and Structural Best Management Practices, Warning and Advisory systems, Testing methods, and Educational efforts. Our results show that Rapid testing and educational efforts are most favored by both residents and tourists. There are few differences in Willingness to Pay for the stormwater strategies among residents and tourists, such that meeting both groupsʹ preferences is possible. Further, based on expertsʹ information on the strategiesʹ proposed costs, all strategies should be pursued by Hawaiiʹs policymakers.