Public preference for the ecological restoration of coastal wetlands in Jiaozhou Bay in China based on a choice experiment

Wetland restoration is an important means to ensure the continuous delivery of ecosystem services by wetland ecosystems. This paper aims to assist policymakers in formulating efficient and sustainable wetland restoration policies by providing the results of a preference assessment study on coastal wetlands in Jiaozhou Bay in China. A choice experiment is employed to examine public preferences for alternative scenarios for Jiaozhou Bay coastal wetland restoration. The restoration improvement is described in terms of four attributes: fishery resources, natural coastline, water quality and biodiversity. The result from the random parameter logit reveals that fishery resources are the strongest predictor of choice, followed by natural coastline and water quality, while biodiversity is a weaker predictor. The result also shows that individuals located nearby the coastal wetland express a higher willingness to contribute to the restoration of the coastal wetland. The findings can provide policymakers with information about tradeoffs that could be used to enhance public support and maximize the social benefits of a coastal wetland restoration program.

Automated summary

This study on coastal wetland restoration in Jiaozhou Bay in China demonstrates that fishery resources have the greatest impact on public choice, and individuals located nearby are more willing to contribute to wetland restoration.