Valuing the Invisible: Estimating the Preservation Value of Dibru Saikhowa National Park, Assam

Abstract

Natural ecosystems provide vital services to human societies, many of which are intangible, invisible and excluded from market pricing. Dibru Saikhowa National Park (DSNP), a river-island national park in Assam, India and is one such ecologically rich but economically undervalued site. This study estimates the preservation value of DSNP using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). Based on a representative sample of 362 households, the study elicits individuals` willingness to pay (WTP) for continued preservation of DSNP, independent of any direct use. To ensure reliability, the survey incorporates rigorous bias-mitigation techniques addressing several biases and anomalies that affect CVM. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) identifies two attitudinal dimensions viz., Warm-glow motive and Preservation motive, out of which only the latter significantly influences WTP. A Tobit regression model reveals that environmental awareness, education, and income positively affect WTP, while age and distance to the site show negative effects. To estimate the total preservation value for the state of Assam, the median monthly WTP was scaled up to all households and annualised. The resulting valuation, when compared with the annual government allocation for the area, reveals that public conservation spending amounts to only 0.013% of the preservation value, highlighting a stark underinvestment in conservation efforts. The findings highlight substantial public support for the non-use values of DSNP and underline the need to integrate such values into environmental budgeting and policy.