Spatial effects in the socioeconomic valuation of peri-urban ecosystems restoration.

Abstract

In many cities, urban pressure is deteriorating peri-urban ecosystems, despite their high capacity to provide ecosystem services. Against this pressure, restoration projects are being developed to improve the environmental conditions of peri-urban ecosystems. The aim of this work is to determine the economic value and degree of acceptability of a restoration project, the Murcia-Río project, analysing spatial effects. This dimension is incorporated when estimating the willingness to pay (WTP) for the project and when dealing with protest behaviour (PB). A survey was carried out to 401 households in Murcia city (SE-Spain) using the contingent valuation method to obtain a monetary value for the project. We identify that distance to both the project area and substitute areas explain WTP and PB. Based on these findings, we recommend that, to maximize the benefits of such actions, interventions should be targeted to areas with high accessibility and low number of substitutes.