Payment for Urban Mangrove Forest Conservation in Vietnam: A Community Case Study of Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

Mangroves play an important role in providing livelihoods, ecological services, and values to communities in Vietnam. However, mangrove forests are being significantly reduced due to socioeconomic development. This study assessed the awareness of mangrove forests and willingness to pay communities in the buffer zone of Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, Ho Chi Minh City for mangrove conservation. The model used was the contingent valuation method, through surveying 700 households in five communes in the buffer zone of the Biosphere Reserve. The results show that local people have a fairly good awareness of the values of mangroves and are willing to participate in conservation activities for the benefit of their families and future generations. The average WTP of a household is VND 529.6 thousand/year (USD 22) in the parametric model and VND 597.8 thousand/year in the non-parametric model (USD 25). Factors that significantly affect WTP include household income, number of people in the household, education and payment level. The study results provide implications for forest resource management activities in Vietnam, especially the financial mechanism for mangrove conservation with the participation of the community.