Using Choice Experiment to Estimate the Value of Sustainable Rattan Resource Management in Cambodia

Abstract

Rattan, which accounts of approximately USD 1.5 million of total revenue in Cambodia, plays a crucial role in national and international trade for poverty reduction and conservation. Prek Thnot community, Kampot province was selected for implementing sustainable rattan management approach 5 years ago including nursery management, enrichment planting and the development of a harvesting plan. Interviews with 324 families who have a forest dependence revealed that rattan is one of the top three options for their livelihood improvement. The objective of this research is to establish the marginal utility of each attribute for sustainable rattan management. It was also used to estimate the payment of each activity for sustainable management and productions. The results revealed that 93% of local communities were willing to pay a tax fee through a revolving fund for managing natural resources at their communities and only 7% rejected the payment because they felt they did not gain profit from their contribution. All attributes were found to be statistically significant at 1 and 5 percent except the benefit sharing from Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+), meaning that local community are still not expected to get benefit from REDD+ or they did not well educated on REDD+ in Cambodia. The marginal of willingness to pay of sustainable rattan management shows that they are willingness to pay more for increasing endangered species and recovering rattan resources in their communities through conservation and enrichment planting at degraded forest and over rattan harvesting areas. Hence, it can be stated the local community are well prepared for participating rattan management activities and these results should be contribute to the making decisions by stakeholders at the community of defining a new policy to be implemented by considering important on biodiversity before implementing any activities.