ECONOMIC VALUATION OF WETLAND ATTRIBUTES  USING A CHOICE EXPERIMENT:  A CASE STUDY IN BUNDALA WETLAND IN SRI LANKA

Dikwellage Thushara Pubudini Samarasekara Dharmawardhana (D.T.P.S. Dharmawardhana)
Thesis Abstract

Bundala Wetland is a well known bird sanctuary that accommodates over 20,000 water birds seasonally and it is renowned for its rich biodiversity. At present, it is being degraded due to improper development and irrigation activities. Sustainable wetland management has been identified as an effective strategy to restore this unique ecosystem for future generation. This study attempts to formulating a sustainable wetland management plan by  exploring public opinion by performing a valuation study. The choice experiment was employed to elicit the preferences of the various stakeholders relating to the main components to be included in the sustainable wetland management plan. The activities identified with increasing the lagoon fish production, promote biodiversity, provide employment in ecotourism and establishing a participatory body for resource governance in the wetland. 36 choice cards including the above five attributes with different levels  were designed. 37 valuation workshops were conducted with randomly selected 630 respondents in the Hambantota district. Findings reveal that among the four ecosystem  services, the mostly benefited service provided by the Bundala Wetland is supporting service. The results confirm that the sustainable management scenario where restoring the lagoon fishery, where the biodiversity is protected, one person to be trained to employ in ecotourism and where the participatory resource governance is the most preferred. The highest demand has been given for the resource governance body in conveyed through the highest MWTP value. The study also reveals that evidence of preference heterogeneity in choosing activities in the most important plan. The findings of this study cater policymakers in formulating a socially efficient and acceptable wetland management plan for the Bundala Wetland.

Keywords: Bundala Wetland, Choice Experiment Method, Conditional Logit, Mixed Logit 
and Sustainable Wetland Management

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ECONOMIC VALUATION OF WETLAND ATTRIBUTES  USING A CHOICE EXPERIMENT:  A CASE STUDY IN BUNDALA WETLAND IN SRI LANKA