TITLE:
Willingness to Pay for Conservation of the Asian Elephant in Nakai Nam Theun National Protected Area in Laos
AUTHORS:
Sengchanh Chanthasene, Somvang Phimmavong, Himlal Baral, Sengdeuane Wayakone, Phongxiong Wanneng
KEYWORDS:
Asian Elephant, Willingness to Pay, Contingent Valuation, Laos
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.10 No.3,
May
11,
2022
ABSTRACT: The Asian
elephant (Elephas maximus) is an
ecologically important species in the forest ecosystem of Laos. The species is
endangered and on the edge of extinction owing to illegal hunting, destruction
of elephant habitat, and forest degradation. Payment for conservation could be
one of the potential mechanisms to enhance Asian Elephant conservation efforts.
This paper aims to estimate local residents’ Willingness to Pay (WTP) for
conservation of the Asian elephant in Nakai-Nam Theun National Park (NNT NP) in
Laos, which is a recognised “Key Biodiversity Area” within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. The data were collected
using a self-administered questionnaire survey, with a total of 490 respondents
living adjacent to the NNT NP, covering seven villages in two districts in
Khammouane Province, Laos. The study employed the Contingent Valuation Method
(CVM) to identify the factors affecting WTP. The results showed that
respondents were willing to pay a significant amount of money in the form of
increasing activities for conservation and protection of NNT NP. Mean WTP for
the conservation of the Asian elephant was $8 per household per year.
Approximately 62% (303 local people) of the respondents were willing to pay for
the conservation of the Asian elephant. The research findings will be helpful
for planners and decision makers to formulate better future strategies for
conservation of Asian elephants in Laos and in similar developing countries in
the Southeast Asia region.