| dc.description.abstract | Wetland degradation has become a major environmental issue in Kenya. Although many studies have been carried out, they have only focused on the direct and indirect use values, giving little attention to non-use values. This understates the total economic value of wetlands. Although a draft wetland policy and an integrated management plan has been developed for the management of most wetlands in Kenya, the failure to take into account non use values misses some of important characteristics of the wetland.
This study takes into account both use and non use values and the public choice of wetland attributes, with specific reference to Lake 01 Bolossat wetland located in Nyandarua North district, Central province. The study sought: to identify and assess factors (attributes) that determine households' valuation of Lake 01 Bolosat; and to generate and estimate non-use values of Lake 01 Bolossat using choice experiments. The study used primary data collected from a sample of 200 households in September 2010. The survey tool used was an elicitation questionnaire that presented the respondents with the four wetland alternatives to choose from.
A choice experiment was carried out with four environmental management attributes included: biodiversity, fenced wetland area, surrounding vegetation and willingness to pay. Biodiversity, surrounding vegetation and WTP had three levels each while fence had two levels. Descriptive and econometric methods are used to achieve the study objectives. A Multinomial Logit model (MNL) was estimated to determine how the explanatory variables (attributes and socio-economic characteristics) influenced the dependent variable (choice).
The results show farm size, and distance from the wetland, were significant determinants of choice of wetland alternative 1 and status quo respectively, while household income and the level of education of the household head were significant determinants of choice of wetland alternative 3. From the policy perspective, these findings are fundamental and point to certain policy implications that include co-management practices with resident community in wetland management, regulation of land sizes around fragile ecosystems such as wetland and community education and awareness, to appreciate the benefits from the environment, particularly the Lake 01 Bolossat wetland. Alternative %fazing land needs to be identified or established outside the wetland, to allow for coexistence of the hippos in the wetland and the community. | en_US |
