Willingness to Pay (WTP) for an Improved Environmental Quality in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Increasing generation of rice husk requires better quality disposal options in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The common practice has been incineration or dumping into dumpsite. The enormous heaps of these rice husks which have piled up since the 1960s now constitute nuisance. Removal of this rice husk from the environment is urgently needed because of the environmental pollution and health hazards it poses to the people and the environs. This study estimates the willingness to pay (WTP) for improved waste disposal services. Findings indicated that about 95% (152) of the households were willing to pay for removal of rice husk waste with an average amount of N957. Factors that positively affected WTP for the removal of rice husk from the environment include annual income (0.001), years of education (0.013), farm size (0.051), age (0.025) and farming experience (0.008), while household size (0.003) and distances of homes/farms from rice mill centers (RMCs) (0.001) were inversely related to WTP with the R2 value of 77%. About 90% (144) of the respondents generated rice husk with an average of 23 bags (kg). The study therefore recommends among others that through the help of extension agents, the general public should be informed on the need for waste recycling and the need for attitudinal change towards recycled product.

An Application of ＇Willingness to Pay＇ Method as a Quantifier for Environmental Impact Assessment

The preservation/restoration of natural environment is frequently entailing excessive cost （paid by people through taxation） while it is a source of additional income for both, the State and the people, due to tourism. Since the evaluation of this good cannot be in market terms, it is applied here in a modified version of the CVM （Contingent Valuation Method）, which is used in experimental economics in order to investigate the significance that people put on this good and how much they might be WTP （Willing to Pay） for supporting activities concerning the preservation/restoration of Lake Kastoria. The WTP dependence on （i） external diseconomies; （ii） the expectations for property values＇ rise as a result of the restoration; （iii） the proximity of interviewees＇ residence to the lake; （iv） the opinion of the interviewee on the time and money spent to visit the lake; （v） the time and money the interviewees spent to visit the lake, as well as other dependencies （all taken as independent variables） are estimated by means oflogit, probit, logistic and linear regression models. The optimal concentration Copt of a pollutant in the environment can be determined as an equilibrium point in the tradeoff between （i） environmental cost, due to impact on man/ecosystem/economy; and （ii） economic cost for environmental protection, as it can be expressed by Pigouvian tax. These two conflict variables are internalized within the same techno-economic objective function of total cost, which is minimized. In this work, the first conflict variable is represented by a WTP index. A methodology is developed for the estimation of this index by using fuzzy sets to count for uncertainty. Implementation of this methodology is presented, concerning odor pollution of air round an olive pomace oil mill.

Analysis on the Influencing Factors of Residents' WTP for Environmental Protection in Tourist Destination——A Case Study of Yellow River Stone Forest in Jingtai of Gusu Province

On the basis of questionnaire survey,by adopting Contingent Valuation Method,residents' WTP for the protection of Yellow River Hoodoo National Geopark in Longwan Village,Jingtai County of Gansu Province was investigated.The result showed that tourism development had greatly influenced local society,economy and culture.Residents in this area had a strong awareness of all the factors above mentioned and showed a positive attitude.Local residents would definitely like to provide a certain degree of labor or money to promote the development of tourism,which was different from the residents' attitude of developed countries.To some extent,it reflected the characteristics of tourism development in developing countries.However,the result of this paper that demographic among residents had little effect on WTP also differed from previous researches.The improvement of living standard and residents' consciousness of environmental protection were the main reasons affecting residents' WTP.Besides,the amount of payment was also in remarkable correlation with the improvement of living standard and the destruction degree of local ecological environment.

Willingness to Pay for Measures of Managing the Health Effects of Heat Wave in Beijing,China:a Cross-sectional Survey

Objective There are evidences that heat wave events cause deaths and emergency cases. This article used the contingent valuation method to find the willingness to pay for the protective measures and investigated the factors that influence the willingness to pay. Methods A cross-sectional face-to-face household survey was completed by 637 urban long-term residents and 591 rural long-term residents aged 15-79 in Beijing, China. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors that influenced the payment rate or payment amount for the protective measures, including independent variables for district, gender, age, education, income, air conditioner ownership, heat wave experience, and chronic non-communicable disease. Results The payment rate was 41.1% for protective measures provided by the government and 39.5% by measures provided by the market. Most of the respondents were willing to pay 40 CNY per capita annually for measures provided by the government or the market. The factors influencing willingness to pay were district, gender, income, air conditioner ownership, heat wave experience, and chronic non-communicable disease. Conclusion Protective measures for heat waves need to be provided immediately. More attention should be paid to the situation of vulnerable groups, such as people who live in urban areas, those without air conditioning, and those who have experienced a heat wave in the past.

Consumer willingness to pay for plastic bags levy and willingness to accept eco-friendly alternatives in Botswana

Plastic bags, though commonly used for packaging of goods, are highly durable and non- biodegradable. Plastic bag litter serves as a negative environmental externality detrimental to animal health and natural beauty of the environment. In an effort to curtail the excessive use of plastic bags in Botswana, the government introduced a plastic levy targeted at consumers at retail points. This study uses primary data collected from 367 respondents randomly selected from six geospatially and purposively selected shopping malls to determine the consumers＇ willingness to pay （WTP） for continued plastic bag usage and their willingness to accept （WTA） to shift to eco-friendly alternatives. The results of the study revealed that open dumping and burning of plastic litter are more common in Maun than in Gaborone, It also showed that there is a significant relationship between the level of education and W＇FP. Further, there is a significant variation in income and education in respect to environmental awareness. The government should improve its efforts of sensitizing the public about the improper disposal of plastic bags.

Living environment shaped residents’willingness to pay for ecosystem services in Yangtze River Middle Reaches Megalopolis,China

Profound understanding on the diversity of local residents’willingness to pay(WTP)for ecosystem services(ESs)may aid evaluation of policy impacts by uncovering trade-offs and synergies for achieving sustainable environmental resource management.However,the reasons for the spatial preference heterogeneity of WTP are still unclear.In this study,an extensive survey with 4,580 residents in the Yangtze River Middle Reaches Megalopolis(YRMRM),central China,was carried out to investigate the public’s WTP to maintain and improve ESs.We identified key influencing factors and explored how they shaped the preference heterogeneity in WTP by random forest model and surface fitting method.Our results showed that 81.4% of residents reported WTP for ESs greater than zero.Water supply,waste treatment,food supply and raw material supply were the preferred ESs for residents.Living environment factors(i.e.,extent of farmland,water and forest near the residence)were found as the key drivers of WTP.Proximity to farmland,water and forests resulted in high WTP values for a series of specific ESs.The reasons for the heterogeneity of WTP are(1)the difference in proximity to farmland,water and forest(i.e.,the contributor to ESs),(2)the divergence of local residents’preferences for ESs.This study disclosed the heterogeneity and causes of public preferences in YRMRM,which could help policy and decision makers to develop eco-compensation initiatives towards conservative and sustainable use of the environmental resources.

WILLINGNESS TO PAY AND PREFERENCES FOR GREEN HOUSING ATTRIBUTES IN HONG KONG

Promotion of green housing is of utmost importance in the achievement of sustainability in the built environment. While the states often use legislation or offer subsidies to motivate developers to build green, market forces can lead to green housing provision without any state intervention if the market players are willing to pay extra for the green attributes of housing. This study aims to explore residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) and preferences for green housing attributes based on the findings from a structured questionnaire survey in Hong Kong. The housing attributes under investigation include the uses of green materials and construction methods (e.g. timber from sustainable sources), energy-efficient technologies (e.g. LED lighting) and water-saving devices (e.g. grey water recycling system). Results indicate that apart from moral or altruistic reasons, residents’ WTP was mainly motivated by economic incentives. Green housing attributes which can directly reduce residents’ utility bills corresponded to greater WTP. Besides, environmental attitude was found a strong determinant of the WTP. Policy implications of the research findings then follow.

Study on the Willingness to Pay the Tourists in the Ecological Environment Protection of Huashan Scenic Spot

In this paper, CVM method (conditional value evaluation method, also known as willingness investigation method) is used to investigate the willingness to pay about the ecological environment protection cost of Shaanxi Huashan scenic spot in July and August, 2013. By establishing the Logistic regression model, the per capita willingness to pay (WTP) of the tourists is calculated to be 79.2 yuan / person. The results show that the tourists' awareness of environmental protection is increasing day by day, and the visitors are fully aware of the importance of protecting the ecological environment. 57.85% of the tourists will be willing to pay, including civil servants, self-employed persons, college degree or above, family monthly income in the 8000-10000 yuan visitors will pay higher. This provides a reference for the sustainable development and development of ecotourism in Huashan Scenic Spot.

Farmers' Willingness to Pay( WTP ) for Reducing Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution: Based on the Empirical Analysis of 453 Farmers

With the rapid development of modern agriculture,agricultural non-point source pollution becomes increasingly serious in China,improving farmers' environmental protection consciousness plays a very important role in the reduction of agricultural non-point source pollution,and the WTP of Farmers for controlling agricultural non-point source pollution strongly reflects the strength of their environmental protection consciousness. Therefore,this investigation and study choose rural areas of five counties from Chongqing city and Zhejiang province as our sample,respectively make interview survey with the WTP(money or voluntary work) of farmers for improving local water and soil quality. Based on the statistical analysis of survey data,this study also takes empirical test and analysis with the influence factors on the WTP of farmers for reducing agricultural non-point source pollution. The analysis and conclusions of this research provides the supports in theory and practice for optimizing farmers' behavior,promoting the management of agricultural non-point source pollution and implementing new rural construction goal.

Tourist Willingness to Pay for Protected Area Ecotourism Resources and Influencing Factors at the Hulun Lake Protected Area

We examined the Hulun Lake protected area（HLPA）and tourist willingness to pay（WTP）for ecotourism resources using the contingent valuation method（CVM）.Eight hundred questionnaires were distributed in the HLPA and 708 questionnaires were collected.To establish the relationship between variables and WTP,11 variables were incorporated into the model.Social trust factors and awareness factor were for the first time applied to the models,and two bid equations were obtained by the first and second bid.We found that tourist WTP for ecotourism resources in the HLPA was CNY 14 710 389 in 2010,indicating that tourists have a large WTP for protected area ecotourism resources.Most tourists（79.9%）were willing to pay for ecotourism resources and 21.1%tourists were unwilling to pay.The most common explanation for unwillingness to pay was that it was the government’s responsibility,influenced by special social and economic characteristics in China and indicating that Chinese residents lack resource protection awareness and participation.Income and the awareness of being in a protected area most significantly affected WTP.Trusting protected area authorities significantly affected WTP.Tourists’satisfaction affected WTP negatively in the first equation and WTP positively in the second equation.These results reveal that tourists had large WTP for ecotourism resources.To improve the WTP for ecotourism resources,the protected area management department could use third-party monitoring mechanisms and accounting systems to strengthen tourists’trust,and increase ecological education and modify the＂one site,several brands＂management system.

基于QCA方法的企业绿色创新水平影响机制研究

绿色创新已成为新时期各地区经济高质量发展的助推器,然而,对于如何促进企业取得高水平绿色创新一直没有得到有效解决。通过搜索国内30个省(市、自治区)的数据资料,采用定性比较分析方法(QCA)对创新资源、外部压力与环保意愿3个层面的7个条件进行整合分析,发现高绿色创新水平的驱动机制包括资源推动型、政策依赖型以及环保意愿型等三种类型。对于企业高绿色创新投入以及政府扶持力度大的地区,环境规制是提升绿色创新水平的重要条件。而对于企业自身绿色环保意识较强的地区,省际研发技术溢出或者外商投资的数量是影响当地企业绿色创新的主要因素,此时环境规制作用并不显著。研究结果为进一步优化创新资源配置、营造治理环境从而灵活促进各区域绿色创新水平提供了借鉴和参考。

西南地区农村生活垃圾特征与群众环保意识

随机选择我国西南地区22个自然村,通过问卷调查、现场采样和实验室测试等方法,对当地农村生活垃圾的污染和处理现状,垃圾特征,群众对生活垃圾的认知、支付意愿和影响因素进行调研。结果表明,我国西南地区农村人均生活垃圾产生量为178 g·d-1,主要组分为厨余、灰土、橡胶和纸类。垃圾容重、含水率、灰分、可燃物和热值分别为107 kg·m-3、37.04%、25.73%、37.23%和8 008 k J·kg-1。该地区生活垃圾具有惰性物质含量低、容重低,可回收物比例和热值高的特征。群众对生活垃圾的污染性认知主要来源于直观感受,对可回收生活垃圾的认知直接受当地废品回收商的影响,对有毒有害垃圾的认知不足。年龄、受教育程度和家庭年收入对认知水平有一定的影响,对群众支付意愿无明显影响。群众的支付意愿与垃圾收费呈指数衰减关系,以每户每月不超过5元为宜。在西南地区农村实施生活垃圾处理收费制度已具有一定的基础。

农户农业环境保护为何高意愿低行为?——公平性感知视角新解

以山东、陕西和山西三省1 052份菜农微观调查数据为基础,基于农户公平性感知视角探索性地构建了农户农业环境保护意愿向行为转化的理论分析框架,并采用通径分析和贝叶斯非线性结构方程模型等进行验证。结果表明:农户农业环境保护意愿向行为转化存在条件,当农户公平性感知较高时,意愿能显著转化为行为;反之,意愿对行为没有显著影响。农户公平性感知对行为的影响同时存在直接和间接效应,较低的公平性感知导致农户农业环境保护意愿高于行为。公平性感知对农户农业环境保护意愿向行为的转化存在显著的负向干扰作用。据此提出,在农户农业环境行为的分析中,应明确区分农户的意愿与其现实行为;在农业环境政策的制定中应强调农户公平性感知,鼓励农户参与农业环境政策的制定;农业环境政策的执行应进一步公开透明。

城乡居民对水源地保护的支付意愿差异分析——以北京水源地为例

基于城乡比较的视角,利用调查数据,运用意愿调查法分析了城乡居民对水源地保护的支付意愿及其差异。研究结果显示:虽然农村居民的收入较低,但是农村居民对水源地保护的响应程度要高于城区居民,且农村居民对水源地保护的户均支付意愿也高于城区居民,但农村居民的总支付意愿比城区居民小;从支付意愿的影响因素来看,城区居民与农村居民并没有表现出明显的差异性,即均表现为受教育程度、家庭收入对支付意愿有显著的正向影响,而年龄对支付意愿有显著的负向影响;从拒绝支付的理由来看,绝大多数农村居民拒绝支付的主要原因是收入低、没有能力支付,而超过半数的城区居民认为水源地保护是政府、自来水公司等其他主体的责任。

都市型农业土地利用面源污染环保意识和支付意愿研究

研究针对北京郊区农业集约化水平较高的顺义区蔬菜化肥和农药超量使用及大型养殖场废弃物排放给生态环境带来严重的不良影响问题,在大量农业面源污染研究的基础上,采用CVM方法,评估了顺义区公众对以上农业活动造成的地下水环境污染问题的环境意识和支付意愿,研究结果表明:首都郊区农民的环保意识在增强;家庭人均纯收入、受访者的受教育程度与支付意愿呈显著正相关;受访者的年龄与支付意愿则呈显著负相关。该研究还计算了顺义区2002年全区农民的平均支付意愿是49.18元/人,该年全区人民总支付意愿为2680.861万元人民币。该研究可为有关部门对农业面源污染进行治理提供参考依据。

我国城乡居民的环境支付意愿及其综合影响因素探究——基于2010年中国综合社会调查数据的分析

居民的环境支付意愿是衡量其环境保护参与主观意愿的一项重要指标。在多重因素综合作用下,我国城乡居民的环境支付意愿呈现异常复杂的状态。通过对2010年中国综合社会调查数据的统计分析,发现我国城乡居民的环境支付意愿总体上处于中等略偏下水平;随着为环境保护付出代价的加大,居民的环境支付意愿呈现递减趋势。在影响环境支付意愿的众多因素中,城乡居民环境保护意愿及控制感的正向作用最为突出,环境知识及对目前环境保护工作的满意度也具有较大影响力,强于人们通常认为的人口特征及收入等经济因素。

信息透明度、环保关注与重污染企业绿色创新

企业信息透明度作为一种信息与治理机制,对于缓解绿色创新投融资约束具有重要作用。以2011—2020年中国A股上市重污染企业为样本,基于内外双重视角分析信息透明度对重污染企业绿色创新的影响。结果表明,信息透明度与重污染企业绿色创新绩效正相关,来自政府和社会公众的环保关注对上述关系发挥正向调节作用;中介机制检验结果表明,信息透明度主要通过降低外部融资成本和提高内部绿色创新意愿,提高重污染企业绿色创新绩效。研究结论有助于识别绿色创新因素中的信息机制,为构建政府—公众—企业的多维环境治理体系提供经验证据和参考。

基于消费者行为模型的农村居民环境保护意愿分析

针对农村居民基于消费者行为的环境保护意识构建经济模型,将居民消费品分为环境关联物品和非环境关联物品两类,又从环境关联物品中分离出环境友好型商品和环境负效应商品,对这两种消费品抽象出某种效用层次下两种类型商品的组合,通过规范式分析方法,判断农村居民环境保护意愿的影响因素和规律。结论显示,农村居民环境保护意愿的不断提高,需要绿色消费品相对价格的降低;通过加大宣传教育,使他们的环保意愿与行为选择达到对农村自然环境保护更为理想的状况。

环境污染感知、环保意愿与农民生活满意度

随着经济社会发展水平的提高,人们生活方式发生转变,改善生活质量成为公众更高层次的追求。生活满意度作为评价生活质量的重要依据,愈益受到社会各界关注。文章基于环境污染感知视角,采用CSS2019数据,运用Ordered Probit和OLS模型就生态环境对农民生活满意度的影响进行实证检验。结果显示:环境污染感知对农民生活满意度有显著负向影响,且该影响存在收入和区域差异。环保意愿在环境污染感知与生活满意度二者的关系中具有调节作用,当农民意识到环境污染恶化时,积极的环保意愿能缓解环境污染对生活满意度的消极影响。此外,相对于客观环境污染,环境污染感知更能直接反映环境质量对其生活满意度的影响。因此,政府不仅要继续加强环境治理,优先解决农民反映最强烈的环境问题,在发展经济的同时提升农民生活满意度;还要改善农民对环境质量的感知,提升公众环保参与度。

健康意识对规模养殖户亲环境行为的影响——基于生猪环保饲料支付意愿的视角

为探究健康意识对规模养殖户以使用环保饲料为代表的亲环境行为的作用,以湖北省402个生猪规模养殖户为研究对象,应用Heckman两阶段模型,探讨健康意识对不同群体规模养殖户的影响差异。研究结果表明,大多数规模养殖户(78.97%)愿意为环保饲料付费,且平均意愿支付水平为每头生猪饲料成本的6.69%(46.80元·头-1)。健康意识中的健康关注程度对生猪规模养殖户环保饲料支付意愿具有正向促进作用,健康变化感知对其意愿支付水平的影响正向显著。通过主成分分析,健康意识整体上直接对规模养殖户环保饲料的支付意愿与意愿支付水平产生正向影响。而差异性分析也表明,在环保饲料支付意愿决策上,健康意识不同的规模养殖户群体间有明显差异。