Evaluating Communities’ Willingness to Participate in Ecosystem Conservation in Southeast Tibetan Nature Reserves, China

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Coupled Coordination Degree of Ecosystem Services Supply and Demand in Chinese National Nature Reserves

Nature reserves (NRs) are the main components of protected areas and geographic spaces, with unique natural and cultural resources. The establishment of nature reserves has not only strengthened the protection of specific species but has also played a vital role in the protection of ecosystem services (ESs). However, few studies have been conducted to systematically assess the effectiveness of nature reserves from the perspective of ecosystem services supply and demand (S&D) or make comparisons between the conservation effects of different types of nature reserves. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of ecosystem service supply and demand in 412 Chinese national nature reserves. The results showed that both supply and demand for ecosystem services per unit area show a spatial pattern of increasing from west to east. The supply-demand matching pattern is dominated by high supply-high demand (H-H) and low supply-high demand (L-H) in the central and eastern regions, and high supply-low demand (H-L) and low supply-low demand (L-L) in the northeast, northwest, and southwest regions. The coupling coordination degree (CCD) of ecosystem services supply and demand increased from 0.53 in 2000 to 0.57 in 2020, and the number of NRs reaching the coordinated level (>0.5) increased by 15 from 2000 to 2020, representing 3.64% of the total number of protected areas. Steppe meadows, ocean coasts, forest ecosystems, wildlife, and wild plant types of nature reserves all improved more obviously. This provides a scientific basis for strengthening the ecological and environmental supervision of nature reserves, and the research methods and ideas can provide references for similar research.

Public awareness on biodiversity conservation and well-being: case of Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak

Lack of public awareness of biodiversity conservation is the leading cause of biodiversity loss. This needs to be emphasized by stakeholders in the conservation effort, particularly in some major conservation areas, including the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Gunung Mulu National Park (GMNP). As a result of threats such as natural catastrophes, pollution, poaching, and uncontrolled urbanization or human development, GMNP is at risk of being inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The UNESCO status is possible to be drawn if its criteria are not maintained or degraded due to a lack of emphasis on awareness of the importance of the site. However, it is still limited information on to what extent is the public aware of the importance of biodiversity conservation in GMNP and its relationship to their well-being. Thus, the study aims to examine the level of awareness (knowledge, attitude, and experience) among local community and visitors in GMNP towards biodiversity conservation; and determine their well-being, specifically on environmental, economic, and social factors concerning conservation awareness. A validated questionnaire was distributed to the visitors (n = 87) and local community (n = 99) through an online and face-to-face survey. Based on the awareness constructs, their level of knowledge and experience is high, while attitude portrays a moderate level. The visitors have a higher level of knowledge, attitude, and experience than the local community. The level of education and number of dependents had influenced their awareness of conservation. In terms of well-being, the economic and social factors had significantly predicted awareness accordingly. It shows that the dimensions of the neighborhood, life and social relations, services and facilities, education, culture, and monthly income influence their current level of awareness of biodiversity conservation. The empirical study provides insights into developing a biodiversity conservation framework for GMNP that emphasizes community psychology as part of the social movement toward holistic management in the park.

Evaluating the Economic Benefits of Tightening Regulations on the Use of Toluene, a Hazardous Chemical, in South Korea

The South Korean government currently designates toluene as a hazardous chemical, only limiting its use in products that are feared to be harmful. Since no measures to prohibit the use of toluene have been implemented, toluene is frequently detected in amounts that exceed the limit. Accordingly, the Government is considering implementing a plan to tighten the current regulations related to the use of toluene to prevent the occurrence of diseases caused by exposure and addiction to it. Therefore, the most important objective of this research is to evaluate quantitatively the economic benefits arising from the implementation of the plan in South Korea. To achieve the purpose of this paper, contingent valuation, an economic technique for analyzing data collected from a survey of people based on economic theory, is applied. For this purpose, a survey of 1000 people nationwide is conducted, and an analysis model that is well received in the literature is adopted. In other words, the annual willingness to pay (WTP) per household to strengthen the regulations to reduce the human health risks of toluene is evaluated to calculate its economic benefits. All the estimated WTP models secure statistical significance. The average WTP per household per annum is derived as KRW 3394 (USD 3.02). Considering that the country contained 20,573,060 households in 2021, the national economic benefits are calculated as KRW 69.82 billion (USD 62.23 million) every year. It is difficult to estimate accurately the costs incurred by tightening the regulations on toluene use, but they do not seem to exceed the benefits. Because tightening the regulations would be socially desirable, the Government would be justified in making this decision.