Estimating the Willingness to Pay of some JIROFT Households to Protect Wildlife and a Determination of the Factors Affecting It (Case study of Grey Francolin)

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Abstract

Nowadays, along with the development of human communities, wildlife has been faced with serious issues even to the estent of a threatening extinction,Therefore the role of natural ecosystem preservation for the needed conservartion of wildlife is of crucial importance. Estimation of payment willingness is an apparopriate method for an assessment of an individual's interest in wildlife conservation. The present study performed in 2009, was aimed at the estimation of payment willingness by some JIROFT inhabitants for conservation of Grey francolin, an indigenous endangered fowl, applying contingent valuation method. In total, 191 inhabitants of the region were selected using Simple Random Sampling, the required data being collected through a dual questionnaire. Analysis of collected data was carried out applying a Logit model under maximum likelihood procedure. The obtained results revealed that payment willingness was negatively affected by age, suggested fee and family size variables. While, those familiarity of the inhabitants with the fowl, environmental issues, level of income and literacy exerted positive significant effects on payment willingness. A payment willingness value of 63557 RLs (6/13 $) per year was estimated for the participating and involved inhabitants.

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