EVALUATION OF THE WILLINGNESS TO PAY OF LOCAL RESIDENTS IN KHANH LAM COMMUNE FOR U MINH HA FOREST PROTECTION

Abstract

The forest ecosystem on wetlands in the Mekong Delta provides different values for local communities. The paper used the contingent valuation model (CVM) to estimate the willingness of local residents to pay for the U Minh Ha forest conservation project, one of two important wetlands in the Mekong Delta. Primary data was collected through direct interviews with 125 residents living around U Minh Ha, who have directly benefited from the forest. The results showed that 60% of respondents were willing to pay for forest conservation and thier willingness to pay in rice is 4 kg per month. If respondents knew that their neighbors participated in the conservation project, they were more likely to contribute to this project. However, respondents who had previously participated in previous conservation activities did not really believe in the feasibility of the project, so their agreement to contribute is lower than that of others.