Trees, Forests and People (Dec 2023)
Economic valuation of forest degradation through direct users’ willingness to pay in Benin (West Africa)
Abstract
Economic valuation of the environment can improve the implementation of policies for its protection. In our study area, the forest is negatively impacted by economic activity. We focused on the direct users’ willingness to pay in order to reduce forest degradation in Benin (West Africa). A total of 1000 farm households were interviewed. On the one hand, the interviews focused on data for the development of the operating account of different crops, livestock, forest products, financial support received, and labor of farm households to determine their income. On the other hand, the interviews focused on the agricultural areas that the households are ready to abandon to protect nature. The results showed that forest products were an important source of household income, thus demonstrating the importance of the forest in the local economy. Our method of discrete choices through stated preferences showed that users were willing to abandon an area of 2 ha. This corresponds to a loss of income of 268,581 F CFA per household (US $448) to protect the forest. In addition, the results showed that, according to economic activity, more interest was given to the riparian of forests for the improvement of soil fertility and the fight against erosion (55.35 %) than to the protection of disappearing vegetable species (23.40 %) or the improvement of rainfall and the reduction of violent winds (20.73 %). Users were poorly interested in protecting wildlife (5.52 %). The willingness to pay was strongly influenced by men (gender), high-income, professional activities of farming, literate households and municipalities with more individuals surveyed (Kouande and Pehunco). Given the importance of forest products in the income of farm households, this study allowed us to estimate the social demand for the consent to abandon deforestation activities in order to implement forest governance measures. Thus, the effects of the negative impacts of anthropogenic pressure on the forest can be reduced.
