Willingness to pay for downstream peat swamp ecosystem services: revealing the recreational value of Raja Musa Forest Reserve

Beyond water supply services for paddy cultivation, the RMFR ecological services extend to the creation of agrotourism, particularly in Sawah Sempadan village. The agrotourism products are homestays, food outlets, recreational activities such as tram rides, boat rides, and river bathing. Notably, the homestay enterprises rely profoundly on the captivating rice field views resulting from the hydrological services provided by RMFR. Realising the ecosystem link between RMFR conservation and agrotourism offerings in Sawah Sempadan, this study assessed the willingness to pay to conserve RMFR as the critical resource for agrotourism experiences in Sawah Sempadan. This is particularly important as studies have primarily focused on assessing the direct consumption of ecosystem services, overlooking the substantial contributions of its downstream benefits. A structured questionnaire was employed and data was collected over a period of three months in 2022. The sample consisted of 320 respondents at a homestay in Sawah Sempadan village. The findings show that the willingness to pay for RMFR's downstream service conservation is estimated at RM14.20 for the single-bound model and RM15.28 for the double bound model per person. This finding indicates a growing awareness among tourists regarding the importance of RMFR in shaping agrotourism experiences in Kampung Sewah Sempadan. These findings shed light on the untapped downstream potential of RMFR's ecosystem services and how willing people are to pay to help protect RMFR so that it can continue to serve its ecosystem purpose. Policymakers, conservationists, and local stakeholders can utilise this research to make informed decisions on the preservation and management of RMFR. Furthermore, the study also highlights the role of homestays in supporting the conservation efforts of RMFR, a crucial peat swamp ecosystem ally in northern Selangor.

Text 117703.pdf - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (542kB) Official URL or Download Paper: http://malaysianforester.my/forestry/archives_jour...

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