Title: Contingent Valuation of improved waste management: the case of a tourist town in a developing country

Authors: Knut Veisten, Miosotis Rivas, Wagner R. Gomera

Addresses: Economic Research Centre for the Caribbean (CIECA), Calle Juan Parada Bonilla #8A, Plaza Winnie, La Arboleda, Ensanche Naco, Apartado 3117, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Institute of Transport Economics, Gaustadalleen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway. ' Economic Research Centre for the Caribbean (CIECA), Calle Juan Parada Bonilla #8A, Plaza Winnie, La Arboleda, Ensanche Naco, Apartado 3117, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Universidad INTEC, Area de Ciencias Sociales, Avenida los Proceres, Gala, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. ' Economic Research Centre for the Caribbean (CIECA), Calle Juan Parada Bonilla #8A, Plaza Winnie, La Arboleda, Ensanche Naco, Apartado 3117, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Alma Mater, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Abstract: This paper reports on a Contingent Valuation (CV) study of improved solid waste management in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic. CV is a survey-based method of economic valuation of public services, and it was applied to assess residents| Willingness-To-Pay (WTP) for two alternative improvement plans. Three hundred heads of household were interviewed. After responding to questions about the actual access to the public waste service, they faced the scenario with description of the sectors| status quo waste management and the two proposed plans. The distribution of stated WTP seemed within a reasonable interval, and can be explained and validated by econometric analysis.

Keywords: contingent valuation; solid waste management; WTP; willingness-to-pay; tourist towns; developing countries; tourism; Dominican Republic; public policy; economic valuation; public services; municipal solid waste.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2011.039472

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2011 Vol.7 No.3/4, pp.316 - 334

Published online: 24 Jan 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article