River Ecosystem Resilience: Applying the Contingent Valuation Method in Vietnam

Mine water drainage interferes with ecosystems of the discharging river, whilst river ecosystem services in return affect livelihoods and well-being adjacent communities. In Ha Long, Vietnam, surface coal mining will be closed after 2025 following national provincial strategy toward sustainable development. This opens up an opportunity to rehabilitate associated rivers increase resilience surrounding social-ecological system (SES) heavily affected by pollution from mines. Increasing through rehabilitation is costly policy makers often lack precise enough information on public benefits make good decisions. this study, we apply concept SESs analyze interrelationship between human society its institutions local governance Long area. Applying a contingent valuation survey 410 households living near operations, assess resulting three different but partly combined projects resilience. Results show that are significantly willing contribute all proposed increasing projects. Factors explaining willingness pay (WTP) diverse found related common governance. Through comparison results for projects, find presence embedding effects identify factors leading upward biased estimates WTP. Our study contributes better understanding SES necessary towards developing countries.