J. For. Sci., 2020, 66(3):105-116 | DOI: 10.17221/154/2019-JFS

Willingness to pay for church forest conservation: a case study in northwestern EthiopiaOriginal Paper

Birara Endalew*,1, Beneberu Assefa Wondimagegnhu2, Kassahun Tassie1
1 Department of Agricultural Economics, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
2 Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia *Corresponding e-mail: birara.endalew@gmail.com

Church forests provide a safe habitat for plants and animals, sources of food and traditional medicine, seed bank for native tree species, reduce soil erosion and rich in biodiversity. But the economic values of these important benefits of church forests were not well documented. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the mean and total willingness to pay for church forest conservation using open-ended and double bounded contingent valuation formats. In doing so, both cash and labour contributions were used to measure the respondents' willingness to pay. Primary data were collected from 300 randomly selected households and analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate probit model. The estimated mean willingness to pay from the double bounded format (239.79 Ethiopian Birr) is higher than from the open-ended format (178 Ethiopian Birr). Similarly, the estimated mean willingness to contribute labour was also 71.51 and 94.34 man-days for the open-ended and double bounded contingent valuation format, respectively. The comparison indicated that the mean and total willingness to pay from the double bounded format is higher than in the open-ended format. Therefore, researchers, policymakers, and forestry experts should give special attention to the double bounded format rather than to the open-ended format to elicit respondents' willingness to pay for the conservation of church forests.

Keywords: bivariate probit; double bounded; open-ended; South Gondar; total willingness to pay

Published: March 31, 2020  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Endalew B, Wondimagegnhu BA, Tassie K. Willingness to pay for church forest conservation: a case study in northwestern Ethiopia. J. For. Sci. 2020;66(3):105-116. doi: 10.17221/154/2019-JFS.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Abila R., Diafas I., Guthiga P., Hatfield R., Kiragu S., Ritho C. (2005): Economic valuation and environmental assessment. Center for Development Research (ZEF) and IUCN-The World Conservation Union-Eastern Africa Regional Office (IUCN-EARO): 125.
    2. Abiyou T., Hailu, T., Teshome, S. (2015): The contribution of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church in forest management and its best practices to be scaled up in North Shewa Zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 4: 123-137. Go to original source...
    3. Aerts R., Van Overtveld K., Haile M., Hermy M., Deckers J., Muys B. (2006): Species composition and diversity of small afromontane forest fragments in northern Ethiopia. Plant Ecol, 187: 127-142. Go to original source...
    4. Albertini A.A., Cooper J. (2000): Application of contingent valuation method in developing countries. FAO Economic and Social Development Paper, 146: 68.
    5. Amare D., Mekuria W., Teklewold T.D., Belay B., Teshome A., Yitaferu B., Tessema T., Tegegn B. (2016): Perception of local community and the willingness to pay to restore church forests: the case of Dera district, northwestern Ethiopia. Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, 25: 173-186. Go to original source...
    6. Arrow K., Solow R., Portney P.R., Leamer E.E., Radner R., Schuman H. (1993): Report of the NOAA panel on contingent valuation. Federal Register, 58: 4601-4614.
    7. Asrat P., Belay K., Hamito D. (2004): Determinants of farmers' willingness to pay for soil conservation practices in the southeastern highlands of Ethiopia. Land Degradation & Development, 15: 423-438. Go to original source...
    8. Bamlaku A., Yirdaw M. (2015): Labor as a payment vehicle for valuing soil and water conservation practice: An application of contingent valuation method in Abaro-Toga Watershed, Southern Ethiopia. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 6: 17-25.
    9. Bhagwat S.A., Rutte C. (2006): Sacred groves: potential for biodiversity management. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 4: 519-524. Go to original source...
    10. Bogale A., Urgessa B. (2012): Households' willingness to pay for improved rural water service provision: application of contingent valuation method in Eastern Ethiopia. Journal of Human Ecology, 38: 145-154. Go to original source...
    11. Bongers F., Wassie A., Sterck F.J., Bekele T., Teketay D. (2006): Ecological restoration and church forests in northern Ethiopia. Journal of the Drylands, 1: 35-44.
    12. Cameron A.C., Trivedi P.K. (2005): Microeconometrics: methods and applications. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press: 1034. Go to original source...
    13. Cardelús C., Lowman M.D., Eshete A.W. (2012): Uniting church and science for conservation. Science, 335: 915-916. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    14. Cardelús C., Scull P., Hair J., Baimas-George M., Lowman M.D., Eshete A.W. (2013): A Preliminary assessment of ethiopian sacred grove status at the landscape and ecosystem scales. Diversity, 5: 320-334. Go to original source...
    15. Cardelus C., Scull P., Wassie Eshete A., Woods C.L., Klepeis P., Kent E., Orlowska I. (2017): Shadow conservation and the persistence of sacred church forests in northern Ethiopia. Biotropica, 49: 726-733. Go to original source...
    16. Cooper J.C., Hanemann M., Signorello G. (2002): One-andone-half-bound dichotomous choice contingent valuation. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 84: 742-750. Go to original source...
    17. Erango E., Mekonnen B., Mekdes S., Tesfaye E., Tolera T. (2017): Economic valuation of soil conservation in highlands of Hadiya Zone of Ethiopia: The case of Soro Woreda Ajacho Watershed. Journal of Resources Development and Management 37: 16-23.
    18. FAO (2012): The state of forest genetic resources of Ethiopia. Institute of Biodiversity Conservation, Addis Ababa, FAO: 69.
    19. Gebrelibanos G. (2012): Households' Willingness to Pay for Soil Conservation Practices in Adwa Woreda, Ethiopia: a Contingent Valuation Study. [MSc Thesis.] Oromia, Haramaya University: 109.
    20. Gebremariam G.G., Edriss A.K. (2012): Valuation of soil conservation practices in Adwa Woreda, Ethiopia: A contingent valuation study. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 3: 97-107.
    21. Haab T.C., McConnell K.E. (2002): Valuing Environmental and Natural Resources: The Econometrics of Non-Market Valuation. Northhampton, Edward Elgar Publishing: 352 Go to original source...
    22. Hanemann M., Loomis J., Kanninen B. (1991): Statistical efficiency of double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 73: 1255-1263. Go to original source...
    23. Hoyos D., Mariel P. (2010): Contingent valuation: Past, present and future. Prague Economic Papers, 4: 329-343. Go to original source...
    24. Jolliffe D., Prydz E.B. (2016): Estimating international poverty lines from comparable national thresholds. Plac of published, The World Bank, 1813-9450. Go to original source...
    25. Klepeis P., Orlowska I.A., Kent E.F., Cardelús C.L., Scull P., Eshete A.W., Woods C. (2016): Ethiopian Church Forests: A hybrid model of protection. Human Ecology, 44: 715-730. Go to original source...
    26. Laurance W.F., Useche D.C., Shoo L.P., Herzog S.K., Kessler M., Escobar F., Brehm G., Axmacher J.C., Chen I.C., Gámez L.A. (2011): Global warming, elevational ranges and the vulnerability of tropical biota. Biological Conservation, 144: 548-557. Go to original source...
    27. Michael H., Kanninen B. (1996): The statistical analysis of discrete response CV data. Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Working Paper No. 798. Berkeley, University of California: 1034.
    28. Mulat Y. (2013): The role of Ethiopian Orthodox churches and monasteries in forest management practices in Chilga and Mettema woredas (districts), North Gondar zone. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 2: 437-446.
    29. Pearce D., Özdemiroglu E. (2002): Economic valuation with stated preference techniques: summary guide. Plac of published, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions London, 1851125698.
    30. Philcox N. (2007): Literature review and framework analysis of non-market goods and services provided by British Columbia's ocean and marine coastal resources. Vancouver, Canada/British Columbia Oceans Coordinating Committee: 92.
    31. Snowball J.D. (2007): Measuring the value of culture: Methods and examples in cultural economics. Springer Science & Business Media: 226.
    32. Temesgen Y. (2015): Valuing Community Based Forest Landscapes Restoration: The bivariate probit analysis for degraded forest lands in NorthWestern Ethiopia. Journal of Marketing and Consumer Research, 8: 58-63.
    33. Reynolds R., Collins C., Wassie A., Liang J., Briggs W., Lowman M., Sisay T., Adamu E. (2017): Sacred natural sites as mensurative fragmentation experiments in long-inhabited multifunctional landscapes. Ecography, 40: 144-157. Go to original source...
    34. Reynolds T., Sisay T.S., Lowman M., Wassie Eshete A. (2015): Sacred natural sites provide ecological libraries for landscape restoration and institutional models for biodiversity conservation Policy Brief, United Nations: 4.
    35. Trudy C., John Q. (1994): Estimation using contingent valuation data from a. Journal of environmental economics and management, 27: 218-234. Go to original source...
    36. Wassie A. (2002): Opportunities, constraints and prospects of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Churches in conserving forest resources: the case of churches in south Gonder, Northern Ethiopia. Upsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences: 204.
    37. Wassie A., Demel T. (2007): Ethiopian Church Forests: opportunities and challenges for restoration. [Ph. D. Thesis.] Wageningen, Wageningen University: 204
    38. Wassie A., Sterck F.J., Bongers F. (2010): Species and structural diversity of church forests in a fragmented Ethiopian Highland landscape. Journal of Vegetation Science, 21: 938-948. Go to original source...
    39. Wassie A., Sterck F.J., Teketay D.a., Bongers F. (2009): Effects of livestock exclusion on tree regeneration in church forests of Ethiopia. Forest ecology and management, 257: 765-772. Go to original source...
    40. Wassie A., Teketay D., POWELL N. (2005): Church forests in north Gonder administrative zone, northern Ethiopia. Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, 15: 349-373. Go to original source...
    41. Woods C., Cardelús C., Scull P., Wassie A., Baez M., Klepeis P. (2017): Stone walls and sacred forest conservation in Ethiopia. Biodiversity and Conservation, 26: 209-221. Go to original source...
    42. Yadav R.H., Eyasu M. (2013): Degradation of preserved and isolated church forests in Asebot, Ethiopia. European Academic Research, 1: 529-534.

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content