Economic valuation of wetland ecosystems: a case study of Ondiri swamp in Kiambu, Kenya
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to establish the economic value of Ondiri swamp.
Apart from determining the available resources and services provided by the wetland, the
study further attempted to append value to the swamp as option value under the Total
Economic Value (TEV) Framework. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was used
to establish how much the residents were willing to pay for the conservation of the
swamp.
The study focused on households within the Kikuyu Township sub-location within which
the swamp is located. This was due to the fact that these were the people who are likely
to benefit mo?t from the swamp or be most affected as a result of its degradation. A
sample size of 94 was chosen from households both from rural and urban enumeration
areas and from the swamp site. Both primary and secondary data was used. Face to face
interviews and field observations were employed in data collection. The main challenge
of this study was to provide sufficient incentives for respondents in order for them to
come up with a realistic payment (WTP). There was qualitative and quantitative analyses
of the data with the aid of the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Scientists) technique.
Simple descriptives such as averages and percentages were used and advanced statistical
analysis undertaken to determine the correlation and regression of data variables.
The study estimated the value of Ondiri swamp at about Kshs. l.5 million. The study
established that Ondiri swamp provides various resources and services to the people
living in its environs with water supply being the key among them. It further outlined that
there were no restrictions on the exploitation of the Wetland resources at Ondiri Swamp.
The study established that the swamp operates as a common property resource and this
threatens the future existence of the wetland ecosystem. It is notable that the residents
were willing to pay for the conservation of the .swamp. It was however disappointing to
'register that the education level attained was not a significant determinant of the peoples'
willingness to pay for the conservation of Ondiri swamp. The study therefore
recommends that a community based management plan for the swamp be established to
ensure sustainable utilization and effective conservation programmes. A future study on
the total economic value of the swamp is also recommended.
Citation
Master of Arts in Environmental Planning and ManagementSponsorhip
University of NairobiPublisher
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies,