Evaluating rural participation in wetland management: A contingent valuation analysis of the set-aside policy in Iran

Growing conditions of water scarcity and population growth necessitate measures for improved water availability to meet agricultural, industrial, and domestic and consumer water demands; generating new environmental pressures on wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems. In Iran, the "set-aside program" incentivizes farmer participation in wetland conservation through mandated land management practices, making them key stakeholders in environmental conservation action. This study explores attitudes to participation in the set-aside wetland conservation program to revive the Jazmurian wetland in Iran, using a random sample of 226 farmer-stakeholder respondents. Farmers were surveyed to investigate economic and social participation using a willingness to accept (WTA) and willingness to pay (in money per ha) (WTP) model. Results show strong (45%) respondent opposition to wetland conservation participation. On the basis of their WTA, the amount of compensation offered by the villagers was significantly affected by "the cultivated area", "gender", "education", "family size", "residency", "income", "moralism", and "Inverse Mills Ratio index" factors. Also, "the cultivated area", "age", "education", "marital status", "family size", and "income" were found to be significantly affecting their WTP. We argue firstly, that policies to improve wetland conservation must join together infrastructure and agricultural development planning - such that dam projects, agricultural and water conservation planning are better integrated across wetland catchments. Secondly, that wetland conservation participation will be improved through land consolidation agreements for small-holders, and through incomes stabilization, capacity building, social learning and awareness-raising initiatives for farmers towards sustainable agricultural practices.