TY - JOUR
T1 - The relationship between environmental values and income in a transition economy
T2 - Surface water quality in Latvia
AU - Ready, Richard C.
AU - Malzubris, Jânis
AU - Senkane, Silva
PY - 2002/2
Y1 - 2002/2
N2 - A contingent valuation study measured citizen willingness to pay (WTP) for an improvement in surface water quality in Latvia. The average respondent was willing to pay 0.7 per cent of household income for the environmental improvement, but that amount was much less than needed to finance the required investments in treatment facilities. While the income elasticity of WTP for the average resident was low (0.56), it increases as income increases, reaching 0.9 at an income level double the current average. As real incomes increase in Latvia, the demand for environmental quality by citizens can be expected to increase substantially.
AB - A contingent valuation study measured citizen willingness to pay (WTP) for an improvement in surface water quality in Latvia. The average respondent was willing to pay 0.7 per cent of household income for the environmental improvement, but that amount was much less than needed to finance the required investments in treatment facilities. While the income elasticity of WTP for the average resident was low (0.56), it increases as income increases, reaching 0.9 at an income level double the current average. As real incomes increase in Latvia, the demand for environmental quality by citizens can be expected to increase substantially.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0344201536&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1017/s1355770x02000086
DO - 10.1017/s1355770x02000086
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0344201536
SN - 1355-770X
VL - 7
SP - 147
EP - 156
JO - Environment and Development Economics
JF - Environment and Development Economics
IS - 1
ER -