Determinants of Rice Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Swampy Wetlands in Ghana’s Northern and Ashanti Regions

Abstract

In light of the increased importance of sustainability issues in the world economy, this study calculates the economic value of the swampy wetlands in Ghana’s Northern and Ashanti region, based on rice farmers’ and community members’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the sustainable use of the wetlands. It also examines the factors influencing this WTP. Data from 160 rice farmers and community members in four districts were collected via a questionnaire survey. A logistic regression model was employed to determine the significance of the influencing factors, while the respondents’ WTP was estimated by the contingent valuation method. The results revealed that 89.4% of the respondents were willing to contribute about 54.90–213.11 USD/household/ha/year and an aggregated 0.298–1.158 million USD/year to ensure swampy wetland sustainability. On an average, they were willing to pay 180.17 USD/household/ha/year and an aggregated 0.979 million USD/year. Gender, household size, household disposable income, and knowledge of the importance of wetlands were found to be the determinants of WTP. We recommend that farmers and the public be educated on wetland ecosystems and family planning. In addition, reducing household size and providing rice farmers with adequate irrigation and postharvest facilities are worthwhile conservation measures.