Willingness to Pay for Urban Inland River Restoration: Case of Nanyang, China

Ecologically rational restoration of urban inland rivers is crucial for sustainable development of modern cities. The research purpose is to assess and compare the value of urban inland rivers by identifying the willingness of Nanyang residents to pay for each of two types of rivers restoration — ecological (improving the ecological quality of rivers) and recreational (ensuring rivers to meet cleanliness requirements for residents’ recreational areas) as well as to identify the factors that determine the difference in the obtained estimates. The novelty of the study consists in the willingness to pay (WTP) for ecological and recreational restoration of urban inland rivers identification and comparison by using the two dichotomous choice questionnaires and in the determination of factors explaining the difference in ecological and recreational value estimates. A questionnaire survey was conducted in Nanyang City, and data was collected from a sample of 326 respondents. The results of the questionnaire survey revealed quite significant difference between the willingness of urban residents to pay for ecological and recreational restoration of the river — CNY109.56 (USD16.8) and CNY255.12 (USD39.84) per person annually, respectively. Factors influencing differences in WTP for ecological and recreational restoration of urban inland rivers — income level, gender, education level, environmental awareness, need for recreation, and distance to urban inland rivers — were identified. The study’s results indicate that urban inland rivers hold a significant economic value and highlight the importance of implementing measures for targeted ecological and recreational restoration as part of the overall urban river restoration system.