Willingness to Pay for Landslide Improvement: Case study Rubber Plantation Area in Nakhonsithammarat Province

Abstract

            This research aims to evaluate the willingness of citizens to pay for landslide and flash flood improvements and to discover a system that supports environmental quality in forest and acceptable social areas covering both environmental and agricultural policies. The research instruments are as follows: Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), questionnaire, and interview. The 380 participants are people who live in landslide areas caused by rubber plantation activities around Khao Luang. The data collection period commenced on February, 2018.

            The research, found that the willingness to pay for Khao Luang area improvement, Option Value, Bequest Value, and Existence Value averaged 36.49, 36.97, and 35.38 THB respectively per month and per household. The median is 30 THB per month per household. Finally, ways of supporting environmental quality have been brainstormed by people who are in the Participatory Action Research (PAR) program. Their needs were made clear by this research: 1) to participate in forest area management and improvement; 2) to manage workplaces with conviction and transparent policies; and 3) to create an atmosphere of cooperation.