Public Preferences and Willingness to Pay Stakeholders for the protection of the Caspian Sea Against Urban Pollution

ABSTRACT:Considering the importance of environmental tourism and biodiversity of the Caspian sea and its values as the common heritage of mankind, investigation and analyzing of society`s view about protection against environmental pollution and willingness of stakeholders to pay are key factors that play role in program management and planning principles for the protection of the Caspian sea and its coastal areas. In this study, the willingness to pay from a group of stakeholders associated with the sea (fishermen) to protect the Caspian Sea in Mazandaran province against the urban pollution was estimated by application of Contingent Valuation method (CVM), complete 198 questionnaires and estimated Logit regression model in 2011. Results showed that 98 percent of respondents were willingness to pay for protection against urban pollution of the Caspian Sea. The mean of willingness to pay by every individual fisherman was evaluated to be about US $24.3 annually. Moreover, the annual willingness to pay by all surveyed fishermen protect the Caspian Sea against urban pollution was equivalent to US $461663.3. Also, the 57 percent of those surveyed were agreed with the interference of governmental institutions in order to participate in Caspian Sea protection programs. It can be inferred from the results that local and governmental policy makers could be optimistic on participation of stakeholders, specifically, fishermen in the conservation programs of the Caspian Sea.