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Non-market value of Singapore's ABC Waters Program
Md Sayed Iftekhar1, Joost Buurman2, Tommy Kevin Lee2
1Centre for Environmental Economics & Policy (CEEP), UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, Melbourne, Australia.
Water Research
|April 9, 2019
Summary
This study reveals that people value features of the Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Programme, with private housing residents showing higher willingness to pay. Virtual reality tools enhance valuation of these water-sensitive urban design projects.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Economics
- Urban Planning
- Environmental Psychology
Background:
- Water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) is globally promoted for ecological and liveability benefits.
- Singapore's Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Programme enhances water quality and urban environments.
- Limited data exists on the social and non-market values of WSUD initiatives like the ABC Waters Programme.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate public preferences for features of the ABC Waters Programme using choice experiments.
- To compare willingness to pay (WTP) for ABC Waters features across different housing types (public vs. private) and development certifications (certified vs. non-certified).
- To assess the impact of virtual reality (VR) tools on preference elicitation and WTP in non-market valuation surveys.
Main Methods:
- Utilized choice experiment datasets to analyze stated preferences for ABC Waters Programme features.
- Segmented respondents based on housing type (public/private) and development certification status.
- Explored the influence of a virtual reality (VR) tool in presenting information during the choice experiment.
Main Results:
- Respondents in private housing demonstrated significantly higher willingness to pay for ABC Waters features compared to those in public housing.
- Differences in WTP between respondents from certified and non-certified projects were inconsistent.
- The application of a VR tool reduced protest votes and increased WTP for ABC Waters projects.
Conclusions:
- Findings provide valuable insights for tailoring the design and implementation of WSUD programs like ABC Waters.
- Housing type is a significant factor influencing public valuation of urban water management features.
- VR tools show promise in improving the accuracy and engagement of non-market valuation surveys for environmental projects.