The Preservation Value of Environmental Benefits in Abshineh Dam Wetland in Hamadan Province of Iran

Due to its special position in providing drinking water for the people of Hamadan province of Iran and being on the migration path of migratory birds, Abshineh Dam Wetland is important from an environmental point of view. Considering the provision of numerous and valuable goods and services by this wetland, this study aimed at determining the protection value of Abshineh Wetland and measuring the Hamadan residents' willingness to pay for its protection. For this purpose, conditional valuation method was used in a hypothetical market based on general preference. Also, to estimate the model, the logit model and the maximum likelihood estimation method were used, and the two-dimensional double selection method was used to extract the suggested amounts. Sampling was done using cluster random sampling method and study data was collected through interviews with 209 heads of households in Hamadan city in 2018. The study results showed that the variables of education level, household income, the level of familiarity with the wetland and knowledge about the habitat services of the wetland had positive effects, and the proposed amount variable had a negative effect on the willingness of people to pay for the preservation of the Absheena wetland. The average amount of willingness to pay for the preservation of the wetland was about 27870 IRI Rials and the annual protection value of the wetland was estimated to be more than 38.3 billion IRI Rials.