Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Conservation Using Dichotomous Choice Approach (Case Study: Khabar National Park

The development of economic valuation techniques and their potential applications to environmental assessment have important role in environmental economics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the conservation value of the Khabr National Park in Iran and people's willingness to pay for preserving it. This park is one of the most important environmental resources of the country in terms of its flora and fauna in Iran. A contingent valuation method with a dichotomous choice questionnaire based on a logit model was applied to determine the conservation value and people's willingness to pay for preserving the park. The required data was collected through completed questionnaires. Results indicated that the influence of the variables of bid, monthly income, gender, job and education level on households’ willingness to pay are statistically significant. Therefore, an increase in income, education level, and people's expertise increases their willingness to pay, and an increase in bid decreases their willingness to pay. The Iranian households' average monthly willingness to pay for this park's conservation value was estimated at 4,328.6 Rials. The results of the study indicated that the use of the public capacities to protect the natural resources and the environment is a step in financing and participation of people for better protection of the environment.