Public preferences for biodiversity conservation in Vietnam’s Tam Dao National Park

This paper investigates public preferences for biodiversity conservation in Vietnam’s Tam Dao National Park by emphasizing the conservation of ecosystems and the protection of the endemic species Opisthotropis tamdaoensis (Tam Dao stream snake). A contingent valuation survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews with 250 residents in Hanoi. According to the results, 89.7% of the respondents were willing to pay an average of VND35,250 (US$1.63) to conserve the ecosystem, and 77.2% were willing to pay an average of VND21,571 (US$1.0) to protect O. tamdaoensis. The motivation behind the respondents’ willingness to pay (WTP) was the value of biodiversity, whereas that behind their refusal to pay was a lack of transparency in the budget disbursement process. Among various socioeconomic characteristics, the education level and monthly income of respondents had a significant effect on WTP.