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Clarifying public willingness to pay (WTP) for farmland non‐point source pollution (FNSP) governance helps to establish an ecological compensation mechanism with public participation. This will reduce China's agricultural pollution and its environmental and food safety consequences while promoting sustainable development. Nevertheless, research has yet to reveal the public WTP within China's FNSP governance policy framework. To this end, a "2030‐oriented FNSP governance program" choice experiment with specific FNSP governance measures (fertilizer reduction, pesticide reduction, straw resource utilization, and mulch film recycling) was conducted in Gansu Province to reveal the public WTP for FNSP governance and its key influencing factors. Results from mixed logit models show that urban residents' marginal WTP (MWTP) for improving the FNSP status quo and different measures for fertilizer reduction, pesticide reduction, straw resource utilization, and mulch film recycling is ¥151.62, ¥1.33, ¥7.3, ¥4.85, and ¥3.16 annually, respectively, indicating the highest preference for reducing pesticides because of food safety problems. Meanwhile, the average individual WTP for optimal FNSP governance schemes is ¥513.02 annually, accounting for only 3.86‰ of annual household income; the regional aggregate social welfare of optimal FNSP governance is as high as ¥2038.23 million, accounting for 2.81% of GDP in 2020. This means that FNSP governance can bring substantial social welfare with a low household economic burden. In addition, the perception that food safety has improved in the past 5 years or an awareness of food safety incidents can enhance the willingness of urban residents to change the status quo of FNSP: the more serious the respondents perceive food safety problems to be, the stronger the above effects, indicating the critical impact of food safety factors on the public's WTP for FNSP governance. The study's findings highlight the potential to find socially acceptable ways to promote FNSP governance as well as provide insight into the relevant policymaking process from the standpoint of public participation and food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transboundary watershed ecological compensation in China is a kind of trust-based cooperation between the upstream and downstream. However, existing research does not further detail multidimensional trust to explore its impact on willingness to pay (WTP). From the perspective of multidimensional trust, it is helpful to clarify the internal motivations for public participation, so as to realize the transformation from current government-led economic incentive mode to normative guidance of effective social behavior. Combined with the specific background of China's ecological compensation, this study divides the downstream public trust into three dimensions: trust in self-governance capabilities, trust in upstream governance capabilities, and trust in local government. The empirical results show that the downstream trust in their own governance ability has a positive impact on their WTP, and when the downstream trust in the upstream governance capacity, the higher their WTP. Moreover, the more trust the local government, the higher the WTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies a choice experiment to evaluate the value of ecological water and investigate public preferences in the Shiyang River Basin, which is an ecologically fragile region in China. The four ecological attributes were ecological water quantity in the upper sub‐basin, ecological water quantity in the middle sub‐basin, ecological water quantity in the lower sub‐basin, water quality in Hongyashan Reservoir. The results show that water quality was the most preferred attribute among all the chosen attributes, and public prefer the increase of the ecological water quantity in the lower sub‐basin. In addition, it was concluded that increases of 40 million m3 and 60 million m3 of the ecological water quantity in the middle and lower sub‐basins, respectively, with the ecological water quality improved from Class IV to III, would be worth 2.82 billion RMB. The research findings are expected to support strategies for regional water resources allocation as well as help to understand public support for the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing appreciation of distance decay as an important parameter necessary for estimating willingness to pay (WTP) is hugely recognized in the literature. In this paper, we estimated the extent to which distance decay and individual's socioeconomic characteristics influence the WTP for restoration of environmental quality attributes in the Heihe River Basin. A choice experiment technique was used to evaluate the household's WTP for the improvements in local environmental attributes. The results of mixed logit model significant impact of distance on the individual's WTP for the improvements in environmental attributes. Findings of the study revealed that people living within 25 km from the river are willing to pay more for an increase in the river water quality level, a reduction in sandstorm days, and an increase in the area of the east Juyan Lake than the people living within the range of 50 km and much more compared to 50 km away from the river. Based on the socioeconomic characteristics, it is concluded that the level of education, age, household's annual income, and household size have a significant effect on the WTP. Results of the implicit prices for each attribute showed the preferences of the inhabitants for every attribute, where the highest WTP in pooled data was recorded for river water quality level (i.e., RMB 124.81/year) and the lowest for leisure and entertainment (i.e., RMB 0.40/year). The highest WTP for water quality suggests that water quality level was the most favored attribute compared to others, subject to the given conditions of water quality and the river basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract The concept of ecosystem services provides a valuable approach for linking humans and nature and for supporting the protection of natural ecosystems. River water services, which influence public health and daily routines, have both social and ecological benefits to a surrounding area. However, river networks and their services have suffered extensive destruction due to urbanization and industrialization, especially in China. An assessment of river system benefits and recognition of public preferences are crucial for sustainable river management and effective river system restoration. The objective of this study was to assess a household's willingness to pay using a choice experiment (CE) with mixed logit and multinomial logit models. This technique was applied to evaluate a respondent's preferences regarding water service attributes such as upper basin, middle basin and lower basin ecological water distribution; water quality; and payment and the possible source of heterogeneity in these attributes. The estimated likelihood ratio test demonstrated that random parameter logit model (RPL) models had considerably more explanatory power than multinomial logit (MNL) models. It was also revealed that the RPL-II model was the most powerful among all the models, demonstrating the capability of that model to predict the choices of the respondents. Furthermore, the findings show that water quality was the most preferred river attribute, and households were willing to pay more for the water quality attribute that derives the highest marginal value. Household income level, residential location, education level, and sex were the main factors influencing willingness to pay. These assessments provide guidance, policy recommendations and a reference for researchers and policy makers to improve and enhance current river water services in the future. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Preference heterogeneity exists among respondents living in different localities of the basin. • Water quality is the most preferred attribute that derives the highest marginal value. • Human activities are the major drivers that destroy ecosystem services. • RPL models had considerably more explanatory power than MNL models. • Residential location, income and education significantly influence household WTP for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvements in the ecological attributes of inland rivers have been projected to provide considerable non-market benefits, and the monetary value of these attributes has steadily increased over the past several decades. The present study addresses the comparison between welfare estimates for changes in the conservation of river basins and improvements in various attributes of these basins. Furthermore, by comparing the transfer error, this paper examines the feasibility of transferring benefits across populations and sites; this paper also determines the impacts of spatial heterogeneity on the welfare estimates. This study reveals that the estimated benefits are higher for the lower basin than for the middle and upper basins, and respondent preferences for relative improvements in environmental attributes vary across the basins. To consider spatial heterogeneity, a spatially explicit choice experiment was used to estimate the transfer errors. The results from the random parameter logit model (RPL) reveal that the inclusion of taste variation reduces the transfer errors that in turn make the benefit transfer applicable. The transfer errors are 15% when benefits are transferred between the upper and middle basins, while transfer errors are 16% when benefits are transferred from the upper basin to the lower basin. The results suggest that the non-market benefits of the river restoration policy are transferable between the upper and middle basins and from the upper basin to the lower basin. Our results have practical implications that can inform efforts to improve ecosystem services. The results are relevant to the policy specifically in terms of a cost-benefit assessment of the management strategy as well as understanding public support for the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an application of a choice experiment measuring public preferences for a farmland retirement project (FRP) in the Gansu environmental degraded region of China. The project helps improve China’s long-term food security, and information on public preferences can be used to cost-effectively design such policies. FRP is conceptualized with four attributes relating to public preferences: Areas enrolled in the program, duration of the contract, priority zone for conservation, and vegetation type for planting. The analysis employs a mixed logit model, allowing for preference heterogeneity, and explores the differences between the willingness to pay of urban and rural residents. Results identify substantial benefits for FRP, and these benefits are closely linked to the program design. Results also show that the willingness to pay for a longer period of the program of urban residents is significantly higher than that of rural residents. Finally, this study proposes policy recommendations that the number of areas and years of the current FRP in the study area can be increased moderately, but not excessively, to further benefit local residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Variation in willingness to pay for ecosystem services throughout the basin. • Water quality most valuable attribute for ecosystem services. • Spatial heterogeneity among people with higher WTP for agricultural production quality and lowest for oasis. • Complex pattern of heterogeneity among various groups. • Group III shows higher willingness to pay for enhanced ecosystem services. The importance of understanding people's preferences and the well-being of river systems cannot be overstated when it comes to the effective restoration and long-term management of these systems. This study aimed to determine the preferences of people in the Hei River Basin of China regarding the conservation, restoration, and development of ecological systems and their associated services. The research utilized a combination of random parameter logit models for distance decay. The study collected data using a choice experiment method and separated the study area into three distance-based groups: group I (within 25 km), group II (25 to 50 km), and group III (beyond 50 km). The findings showed that there was spatial heterogeneity among the people, with a higher willingness to pay for high-quality agricultural production and the lowest willingness to pay for oasis. The results revealed a complex pattern of spatial heterogeneity and indicated the need for increased awareness programs, environmental education, and the promotion of social responsibility towards environmental protection. It is essential to implement environmental policies, restore properties, and preserve ecological systems to achieve sustainable development and a sustainable environment. The findings highlight the importance of considering spatial heterogeneity and the need for increased environmental awareness, education, and policy implementation. This research can contribute to developing effective strategies for the preservation of river systems and ensuring sustainable development and a sustainable environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding public preferences and evaluating the river basin are essential for effective river basin management, and enhancing its environmental attributes can provide considerable non-market benefits. As such, the study explores the heterogeneity in people's preferences and rankings of river ecosystem services based on their willingness to pay (WTP) to upgrade these services. A research survey was conducted throughout the river basin using a choice experiment approach. In this study, we evaluated the impact of study area elevation (a spatial attribute) on residents' willingness to pay for rehabilitation of environmental attributes. The study incorporates 6 ecological attributes in order to examine the differences in people's willingness to pay at various elevation levels. A total of five cities and 33 surrounding villages and townships were surveyed, while five elevation groups were made on an ad hoc basis to split samples, i.e., 1000–1600 m, ≤1600–2200 m, ≤2200–2800 m, > 2800–3400 m, and 3400–4000 m. The results of the mixed logit model recognized that people living at different elevations value rehabilitation of varying environmental attributes differently. For example, the inhabitants in Group 1 (1000–1600 mm) are willing to pay RMB 6.70 per year for biodiversity upgrades; while the WTP of the people for the same attributes is RMB 32.68 in Group 5 (3400–4000 mm). The Krinsky Robb approach confirmed that agricultural product quality and greenhouse gases (GHGs) were the most highly valued attributes, with a willingness to pay of RMB 90.40 and RMB 47.17, respectively. Applying these results as a reference for sustainable improvements and uplift of deteriorated ecological qualities is an example of how they may be helpful in bettering the world. [Display omitted] • The study explores heterogeneity in preferences and rankings of river ecosystems. • A survey was conducted using a choice experiment approach. • Five elevation groups were made on ad hoc basis to split sample. • The respondents in groups valued ecosystems differently. • Agricultural products quality and GHGs were the most valued attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Payments for watershed ecosystem services are the most important forms of global water environmental protection. Transboundary basin ecological compensation policies in China are mainly based on the central government's appropriation to local governments or transfer payments between local governments. However, watershed ecosystem services face many problems such as the lack of interprovincial horizontal compensation policies and insufficient public participation. Most of China's rivers are distributed in vast rural areas, and the livelihoods of farmers living in these areas are highly dependent on the water environment. Since a watershed usually spans multiple administrative regions, the inconsistency between the natural and administrative boundaries of the river affects the completeness of the ecosystem services' information exchange between the service providers and payers. To promote interprovincial government water management cooperation and spark the farmers' enthusiasm for participating in the payments for watershed ecosystem services, this study examines the mechanism by which social interactions can affect farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) by mitigating the information bias. The results show that information bias plays a mediating role in the effect of social interactions on WTP. Additionally, the cadres/associations' and village-level interactions can effectively reduce the information bias of farmers, thereby increasing their WTP for transboundary basin ecosystem services. Moreover, the intensity of the psychological ownership of the watershed and government credibility have a significant moderating effect on the above-mentioned mechanisms. This study suggests that it is necessary to broaden the source channels of farmers' information on upstream ecological governance, improve the completeness of farmers' information, and curb the negative impact of information bias on WTP. Simultaneously, it is necessary to improve the government credibility and cultivate the farmers' sense of belonging and responsibility toward the watershed. • Willingness to pay for transboundary basin ecosystem services. • Information bias affects the willingness to pay for transboundary basin ecosystem services. • Social interactions reduce information bias. • Government credibility and psychological ownership moderated the effect of information bias on willingness to pay. • Using moderated mediation model estimated the indirect effect and moderating effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognition of public preferences and the assessment of the river basin are valuable for efficient river basin management, and improvement in ecological attributes of river basin can provide considerable non-market benefits. Accordingly, the current study examines the heterogeneity in preferences and ranking of river ecosystem services amongst residents on the basis of their willingness to pay (WTP) to enhance these services. Given the different environmental and economic conditions of urban and rural residents in China, their views on ecological restoration differ. Various Likert scales were used to explore residents' perceptions and ranking of ecological attributes. Findings revealed that urban and rural residents care about water for their daily life, with the mean value of 2.08 and 2.10 and the lowest standard deviation of 1.63 and 1.59, respectively where the range of scale is '1 is the most important and 7 is the least important'. Agricultural and industrial water, weather management in Yangsha Lake, vegetation restoration, biodiversity conservation and downstream ecological protection were the next most imperative ecological attributes. Moreover, the results from random parameter logit (RPL) models show that river water quality has the highest marginal utility value, whereas recreational conditions have the lowest marginal utility value in all respondents' models. A considerable difference exists amongst urban and rural residents' WTP for improvements in ecological amenities. Amongst all households, lower basin residents prefer and value ecological attributes and are ready to pay whatever cost for restoration. Generally, urban residents have high implicit prices for most of river ecosystem attributes. Findings reveal that the policymakers should consider the existing preference heterogeneity when designing ecosystem payment plans and allocating resources. Unlabelled Image • Urban residents have higher MWTP for most of the river attributes. • River water quality has the highest marginal utility values. • Recreational conditions are the least preferred ecological attribute. • The residents of the lower basin are more concerned about ecological improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valuation of environmental goods and services offers valuable information for environmental management, where there exists heterogeneity in household's taste and preferences. The current study evaluated the willingness to pay for ecosystem services with regard to assess benefit transfer among sub-basins of Wei River. In order to achieve an improved environmental status in Wei River basin, a choice experiment survey was conducted with the perception regarding valuation of ecosystem services in the upper, middle and lower basin. A total of 900 households sampled respondents were interviewed in the entire river basin. Seven ecological attributes were selected in an arrangement with improvements in ecological conditions in choice a set. Welfare estimates were measured through conditional logit (CL) and random parameter logit (RPL) models. Outcomes of our study validated the diversity in the public preferences regarding valuation of selected ecological attributes in all three basins. Like, water quality level was relatively highly valued (i.e. 109.3 Yuan) by those who live in lower basin followed by inhabitants of middle basin (81.57 Yuan). With the addition of heterogeneity in tastes and preferences, relatively lower transfer errors were estimated in RPL model as compared to CL model. While transferring benefits from lower to upper basin, the estimated transfer errors were 35.37% and 7.06% of transfer errors were estimated from upper to middle basin and 19.30% were estimated from middle to lower basin in RPL model. While for the same conditions, the estimated transfer errors in CL model were 44.49%, 9.49% and 29.37% respectively. In the light of current outcomes, there are sufficient evidences to claim for transferability of benefits between upper, middle and lower basins. The conclusive empirical outcomes of the current study thus help in proper management of ecosystem services and allow for benefit transfer from one basin to the other basins of Wei River. Image 1 • Heterogeneity exists in the willingness to pay for ecosystem services across basins. • With the inclusion of taste heterogeneity Random parameter logit model resulted in lower transfer errors. • Random parameter logit model's mean transfer errors ranges from 7.06% to 35.37%. • Conditional logit estimates predicted for relatively higher transfer errors. • Mean transfer error ranges from 9.49% to 44.49% in Conditional logit model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]