92 / 2016-06-24 12:48:53

The valuation of public preference for good air quality in the haze region: A case study in Eastern China

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In order to investigate the public’s preference for good air quality in typical zone of dust haze, a detailed investigation was performed using a contingent valuation method (CVM) with open-ended scenarios in April, 2016. Considering that the respondents’ responses can be influenced by the framing of willingness-to-pay (WTP) question, we subsequently elicited their WTP levels for the hypothetical air quality improvement project (HAQIP), and for the hypothetical clean air (HCA). In a valid sample of 252 obtained from 300 distributed questionnaires, the percentage of positive WTP (WTP>0) for HCA and HAQIP was 61.9% and 38.9%, respectively. The results showed that education background had significantly positive impacts on the probability of positive responses to HAQIP question, but was not a statistically significant determinant of positive responses to HCA question. Monthly household income and the medical cost of treating respiratory diseases were positively related to both WTP levels, as expected. The estimated average WTP for HCA and HAQIP was 74.2 and 38.8 CNY per person per month, respectively. This gap indicates that the participants were sensitive to the WTP scenario questions, and the public participation in environmental protection deserves attention.