Visitors’ Willingness to Pay for Conserving the Mountainous Forests of Entoto Park in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: The peri-urban forests, including the mountainous forests of Entoto Park, provide a range of ecosystem services. These include provisioning services like wood production and surface water, supporting services that provide habitats for diverse species, cultural services enabling recreation and scenic appreciation, as well as regulating services for water purification and climate. However, these valuable services are often undervalued and less appreciated. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze how much visitors would be willing to pay for the ecosystem services of the Entoto Park in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: This study examined various socioeconomic factors that determine visitors' willingness to pay for forest conservation at Entoto Park in Addis Ababa. For this purpose, a random sample of 274 visitors of the Entoto Park was taken. The sample size was determined using a standard formula based on the total population of the Park’s entrants to provide an adequate number of respondents. SPSS version 16 was used to analyze the Probit model and the correlation between the dependent and independent variables. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was used to determine the aggregate willingness to pay. Results: The findings reveal that education level, income, family size, experience with conservation of nature, and required time to reach the Park have significantly influenced the dependent variable of visitors' willingness to pay (P<0.05). Additionally, the number of visitors that were willing to pay showed significant correlations with visitors’ experience in conserving urban forest, education level, and income. On average, respondents expressed the willingness to pay 218.8 ETB per person per year for forest conservation, which would total approximately 31,695,020 ETB based on the expected total of 234,500 people visiting the Park each year. Conclusion: The willingness of Entoto Park visitors to contribute financially to the conservation of its forested areas is significantly (P<0.05) determined by visitors' education level, income, family size, experience with conservation of nature, and required time to reach the park. This shows the importance of implementing a legal and regulatory framework that encourages public engagement and appreciation of the monetary value of urban forest ecosystem services. The visitors are willing to pay 218.8 ETB per person per year. This willingness has the potential to bolster financial support for critical forest conservation initiatives and help bridge funding gaps faced by the Government. East African Journal of Sciences, Vol. 18 No. 2 (2024): East African Journal of Sciences