TY - JOUR AU - Khanal, Y AU - Upadhyaya, CP AU - Sharma, RP PY - 2010/08/05 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Economic valuation of water supply service from two community forests in Palpa district JF - Banko Janakari JA - Banko VL - 20 IS - 1 SE - Articles DO - 10.3126/banko.v20i1.3505 UR - https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/BANKO/article/view/3505 SP - 24-29 AB - Apart from physical products, community forests (CF) in Nepal generate various ecosystem<br />services that could be important not only to the stakeholders at local level, but also to the<br />stakeholders at the regional and the global levels. Water supply from CF would be one of<br />the many ecosystem services whose benefits are provided to the stakeholders. Considering<br />the economic importance of water supply service from CF, this study aims to assess the<br />economic value of the water supply as a service from two CFs and also identify the<br />factors affecting an individual's willingness to pay (WTP). Contingent valuation method<br />was applied to evaluate the water supply service based on the information of users' WTP.<br />Data from 74 households (HH) in Lipindevi Thulopakho and Jarneldhara CFs in Palpa<br />district (surveyed during May-June, 2008) were used. Results indicated that the mean<br />WTP of Lipindevi Thulopakho and Jarneldhara CF users were US$ 36.62 and 25.62 HH<sup>-1</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup>,<br /> respectively. The economic value of water supply service from Lipindevi Thulopakho<br />and Jarneldhara CF were US$ 93.54 ha<sup>-1</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup> and 134.06 ha<sup>-1</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup>, respectively. Factors<br />like distance of the house from water source, daily water consumption, wealth status and<br />caste were associated with substantial influences on an individual's WTP. This study<br />concludes that there would be a high possibility for generating extra income with the<br />development of a payment mechanism for water supply service from CF.<br /><br /><strong>Key words:</strong> Community forest; contingent valuation; economic valuation; water supply;<br />willingness to pay<br /><br />DOI: 10.3126/banko.v20i1.3505<br /><br /><em>Banko Janakari</em>, Vol. 20, No. 1 pp.24-29 ER -