Mohd Rusli Yacob

We are willing to pay to support wetland conservation: local users' perspective

The main objective of this study is to elicit the benefits that arise from Shadegan wetland in southern Iran to the users of this ecosystem, who are impacted most significantly by degradation/conversion of this ecosystem. Hence, a choice experiment (CE) and contingent valuation method (CVM) survey of users of the Shadegan wetland were conducted to estimate the value of non-market services provided by the wetland. The benefits from high-level conservation of the wetland are estimated from CVM to be about US

Households’ Awareness, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Waste Cooking Oil Recycling in Petaling, Malaysia

2.26 per household of users. Meanwhile, the estimated compensated surplus from CE was about US

Willingness to pay for protecting natural environments in Pulau Redang Marine Park, Malaysia

8.28. Findings of this study suggest that the high value of Shadegan wetland for user communities can help policy-makers and wetland managers adopt policies that have no further conversion benefits than conservation or risks of degradation.

Farmers’ perceptions and attitudes toward forest watershed conservation of the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest

Cooking oil as an additive and medium of heat transfer plays a significant role in food preparation. Its attributes of providing food with good taste, colour and aroma gave it general acceptance among consumers. In recent years, huge amount of waste cooking oil (WCO) is generated and discharged in to the environment in various countries of the world. This study examined empirically the households’ awareness, attitudes and practices towards WCO recycling in Petaling District of Selangor State, Malaysia. Information on households’ awareness, attitudes and practices regarding WCO reuse, recycling and disposal will give a hint on how to improve WCO management in order to reduce its associated environmental problems. The study was conducted based on 352 households, who were randomly interviewed face-to-face using structured questionnaires from February to June, 2013. The results indicated that the average WCO generated per household is 2.34 kg/month, and even though the households’ awareness on the significance of WCO recycling were generally positive, only small portion of them are engaged into it. However the result of the logit regression revealed that awareness and attitude were the significant factors that influence households engagement into WCO recycling, there is need for intensifying efforts in creating more awareness on proper management of WCO. The researchers finally suggested ways on how to encourage WCO management among households in Petaling.

Design-Attributes Relative Importance Index (DARII) Analysis for Improve Solid Waste Collection Services among Households in Kano Metropolis, North-Western, Nigeria

Although marine parks, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserves are established to conserve biodiversity and enhance ecotourism, some of the country’s protected areas are under threat whether at varying degree. The biggest threat arises from human encroachment. To rescue these resources, appropriate conservation strategy must be put in place. This requires proper valuation of the environment. Taking Pulau Redang Marine Park (PRMP) as a case, information on people’s willingness to pay (WTP) to protect the environment was gathered. Using the dichotomous-choice contingent-valuation method (CVM), it was found that the recreationists are willing to protect the park. The study showed that the average WTP ranged between RM 10.86 and RM 28.69 that could contribute between RM 1.65 million and RM 4.36 million in aggregate for the year 2008.

Heterogeneous preferences for domestic water quality service improvement: a mixed logit approach

ABSTRACT Over the past several decades, the management of forest ecosystem functions through policies such as “command and control” has not been successful, largely because existing policies and legislation for natural resource management are inadequate and often formulated without consulting local communities such as farmers. However, farmers’ decisions to participate in natural resource conservation or watershed conservation more particularly are generally influenced by their knowledge of the problems and perceived benefits of conservation. This study focuses on farmers’ perceptions and attitudes toward forest watershed conservation in the North West Selangor Peat Swamp forest of Malaysia. A survey questionnaire was administered to 380 paddy farmers at the North West Selangor irrigation scheme. Dates were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the theory of value and social psychology constructs. The study concludes that farmers have generally positive attitudes toward forest watershed conservation. Therefore, we recommend farmers’ involvement in the conservation and management of the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest (NSPSF).

Household’s willingness to pay for drinking water quality service improvement in Damaturu, Nigeria.

The issue of solid waste management (SWM) has persisted in most developing countries, like Nigeria. Despite several attempts at local levels to address this, its existence and effects keep on rising in Kano metropolis. This study explores one of the bases in setting priorities for services improvement to choose from among lists of service attributes in choice experiment survey perhaps to minimize the issue of attribute nonattendance. It warrants researchers to know how importance each service attribute is, for the most suitable perceived attributes relative importance. A technique for determining the relative importance of various service attributes to SWM was examined. A Sample of 230 households was determined using Krejcie and Morgan, and questionnaire survey approach was adopted. Data were analyzed using Relative Importance Index. The analysis showed that a relatively simple method using a ranking of multivariate correlation coefficients from high to low might be the most helpful approach for ranking the relative importance attributes. Findings indicated that collection frequency, disposal method, storage facilities, pre-collection and monthly payment were the most appropriate subset of the entire lists which influences waste collection services improvement in Kano Metropolis.

Consumers’ Perceptions, Attitudes and Willingness to Pay towards Food Products with “No Added Msg” Labeling

This paper reports the findings from choice experiment (CE) study designed to estimate the economic value of domestic water quality and services attributes in Damaturu, Yobe State Nigeria. The Mixed Logit Model (MLM) was used in order to estimate the household preferences and personal interviews were made on a total of 300 households. The households were asked to select the best among the alternatives of the domestic water quality and service improvements. The attributes investigated were tab water quality (TWQ), total supply of water (TWS), tap water pressures (TWP) and water billing price (P). Findings of the study show that the household’s preferred the highest changed in each attributes levels. The most significant variable in MLM model is TWQ attribute, which marginal rate of substitution (MRS) is 685 % for simple model and 572 % for interaction model. The findings of this study can assist the government in designing cost effective management and efficient tariff structure.

A contingent valuation study of marine parks ecotourism: the case of Pulau Payar and Pulau Redang in Malaysia

Human existence depends largely on availability of water both in high quality and sustainable supply. Improved quality drinking water has the ability to improve our standard of living, reduces mortality rates and morbidity associated with water born diseases. Damaturu have witnessed unprecedented increase and influx of population due to its new status by been made the capital of Yobe State in 1991, provision of safe drinking water thus became a matter of serious concern and this led to prevalence of water borne diseases like diarrhea and other gastro intestinal disorder. Yobe State has embarked on the construction of “Damaturu regional water supply project” which promises 100% access to portable water to Damaturu. The general objective of the study is to assess the household’s willingness to pay for an improved quality drinking water. Choice experiment approach was used, and four attributes of drinking water quality were identified namely; tap water quality (TWQ), Tap water supply (TWS) tap water pressure (TWP) and Price. Conditional logit model (CLM), involving randomized sampling of 300 respondents was carried out. The results were found that respondents with higher level of education are more willing to pay. Identifying the mix of attributes and their prices based on respondents’ drinking water quality demand preferences would help policy makers to know and provides the households with a preferred and affordable drinking water and also facilitates effective tariff structure for cost recovery and sustainability.