Suchergebnisse

A contingent valuation survey was conducted among 1521 household water users in four municipalities and one city around the Mt. Isarog Natural Park (MINP) in Camarines Sur, Philippines from September to November 2003.The study aimed to estimate the willingness to pay of residents living in areas surrounding MINP for its sustainable management. The municipalities included Camaligan, Canaman, and Magarao and Naga City, which are serviced by the Metro Naga Water District (MNWD), and the municipality of Pili, which is serviced by the Pili Water District (PIWAD). Findings indicate that the residents had a low level of awareness about watersheds, but had a high level of awareness about the role of forest in maintaining a good water supply. Generally, they were willing to pay for the improved management of Mt. Isarog watershed in the belief that this would result in a reliable water supply. The mean willingness to pay, estimated through a logit model, wasP55/ household/month. The factors that influenced their willingness to pay include bid amount, monthly income, knowledge about watershed, and occupation. The main reason why the respondents were willing to pay is to secure the reliability of water supply both for the present and future generations. On the other hand, some respondents were unwilling to pay because they believed that watershed management is the government's responsibility. The study recommends that the household water users' willingness to pay be captured through a water user fee system.