Groundwater Valuation and Quality Preservation in Iran: The Case of Yazd

Abedi, Z.; Fattahi Ardakani, A.; Hanifnejad, A.R.; Dashti Rahmatabadi, N.

doi:10.22059/ijer.2014.710

Groundwater Valuation and Quality Preservation in Iran: The Case of Yazd

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

Z. Abedi ¹

A. Fattahi Ardakani ²

A.R. Hanifnejad ³

N. Dashti Rahmatabadi ⁴

¹ Faculty of Environment and Energy, Department of Environmental Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Natural Resources, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

³ aculty of Environment and Energy, Department of Environmental Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/ijer.2014.710

Abstract

Groundwater can be used directly or indirectly and any decline in its quality or quantity may
negatively impact the environment. Through groundwater valuation, people are made aware of the fact that
groundwater is not free of charge and therefore the significance of groundwater preservation is established. In this study, groundwater quality preservation value has been estimated for the city of Yazd based on the
contingent valuation method (CVM). The methodology used consisted of field study and library research.
After determining the sample size using Cochran’s formula, the distributed questionnaires were filled by the
inhabitants of the city of Yazd. Thereafter, the results were analysed using Excel and EViews. Finally, people’s willingness to pay for the preservation of Yazd groundwater quality was estimated to be US$18.5 annually per capita, which is a remarkable value. Hence, it was determined that groundwater quality preservation was of great value to the inhabitants of Yazd.

Keywords

Conservation value

Groundwater

Contingent valuation method (CVM)

willingness to pay (WTP)

Yazd