Valuation of Local Demand for Improved Air Quality: The Case of the Mae Moh Coal Mine Site in Thailand
While the district of Mae Moh, Thailand has been well known for its atmospheric pollution associated with coal power production, economic assessment of demand for improved air quality has not been conducted to date. This study estimated local residents’ individual and aggregate willingness to pay (W...
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doaj-b9714dff9b3241aab5ec22b090226cfb2021-09-25T23:43:14ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332021-09-01121132113210.3390/atmos12091132Valuation of Local Demand for Improved Air Quality: The Case of the Mae Moh Coal Mine Site in ThailandWorawat Srisawasdi0Takuji W. Tsusaka1Ekbordin Winijkul2Nophea Sasaki3Department of Development and Sustainability, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Pathumthani 12120, ThailandDepartment of Development and Sustainability, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Pathumthani 12120, ThailandDepartment of Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Pathumthani 12120, ThailandDepartment of Development and Sustainability, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Pathumthani 12120, ThailandWhile the district of Mae Moh, Thailand has been well known for its atmospheric pollution associated with coal power production, economic assessment of demand for improved air quality has not been conducted to date. This study estimated local residents’ individual and aggregate willingness to pay (WTP) for mitigation of atmospheric pollution in Mae Moh using the contingent valuation method (CVM), and analyzed the factors associated with the individual WTP using the bivariate tobit and double-hurdle regression techniques. Primary data were collected through face-to-face interviews with a stratified sample of 200 residents. The hypothetical scenarios used in the CVM module were 50% and 80% mitigation of atmospheric concentrations of major pollutants. The weighted average WTP was found to be THB 251.3 and 307.9 per annum (USD 8.4 and 10.3) for the 50% and 80% reduction scenarios, respectively. The aggregate WTP for the entire population of Mae Moh was THB 10,008,733 and 12,264,761 per annum (USD 336,294 and 412,096), respectively. Education, occupation type, income, expenses, satisfaction with ambient quality, and perceived sources of pollution had significant associations with the individual WTP. The paper concludes by discussing policy implications for atmospheric pollution management and avenues for future research.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/9/1132air pollutionair qualityparticulate matterPM<sub>2.5</sub>PM<sub>10</sub>contingent valuation |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Worawat Srisawasdi Takuji W. Tsusaka Ekbordin Winijkul Nophea Sasaki |
spellingShingle |
Worawat Srisawasdi Takuji W. Tsusaka Ekbordin Winijkul Nophea Sasaki Valuation of Local Demand for Improved Air Quality: The Case of the Mae Moh Coal Mine Site in Thailand Atmosphere air pollution air quality particulate matter PM<sub>2.5</sub> PM<sub>10</sub> contingent valuation |
author_facet |
Worawat Srisawasdi Takuji W. Tsusaka Ekbordin Winijkul Nophea Sasaki |
author_sort |
Worawat Srisawasdi |
title |
Valuation of Local Demand for Improved Air Quality: The Case of the Mae Moh Coal Mine Site in Thailand |
title_short |
Valuation of Local Demand for Improved Air Quality: The Case of the Mae Moh Coal Mine Site in Thailand |
title_full |
Valuation of Local Demand for Improved Air Quality: The Case of the Mae Moh Coal Mine Site in Thailand |
title_fullStr |
Valuation of Local Demand for Improved Air Quality: The Case of the Mae Moh Coal Mine Site in Thailand |
title_full_unstemmed |
Valuation of Local Demand for Improved Air Quality: The Case of the Mae Moh Coal Mine Site in Thailand |
title_sort |
valuation of local demand for improved air quality: the case of the mae moh coal mine site in thailand |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Atmosphere |
issn |
2073-4433 |
publishDate |
2021-09-01 |
description |
While the district of Mae Moh, Thailand has been well known for its atmospheric pollution associated with coal power production, economic assessment of demand for improved air quality has not been conducted to date. This study estimated local residents’ individual and aggregate willingness to pay (WTP) for mitigation of atmospheric pollution in Mae Moh using the contingent valuation method (CVM), and analyzed the factors associated with the individual WTP using the bivariate tobit and double-hurdle regression techniques. Primary data were collected through face-to-face interviews with a stratified sample of 200 residents. The hypothetical scenarios used in the CVM module were 50% and 80% mitigation of atmospheric concentrations of major pollutants. The weighted average WTP was found to be THB 251.3 and 307.9 per annum (USD 8.4 and 10.3) for the 50% and 80% reduction scenarios, respectively. The aggregate WTP for the entire population of Mae Moh was THB 10,008,733 and 12,264,761 per annum (USD 336,294 and 412,096), respectively. Education, occupation type, income, expenses, satisfaction with ambient quality, and perceived sources of pollution had significant associations with the individual WTP. The paper concludes by discussing policy implications for atmospheric pollution management and avenues for future research. |
topic |
air pollution air quality particulate matter PM<sub>2.5</sub> PM<sub>10</sub> contingent valuation |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/9/1132 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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