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Estimating the value of the reduction in air pollution during the Beijing Olympics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 August 2011

Xiaoyan Du  and
Robert O. Mendelsohn
Xiaoyan Du
Affiliation:
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. Tel: 617-276-2997. Email: xyandu@gmail.com or xiaoyan.du@yale.edu
Robert O. Mendelsohn
Affiliation:
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, USA. Email: robert.mendelsohn@yale.edu
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Abstract

This study estimates the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of Beijing residents in order to maintain the improved air quality experienced during the Olympic Games. A double-bounded contingent valuation method is applied to a survey of 566 Beijing residents. The results indicate that the mean annual WTP per household is between CNY 22,000 and 24,000, and the median WTP is around CNY 1,700. The WTP for this actually experienced improvement is significantly higher than the results from previous hypothetical WTP surveys in China.

Type
Research Article
Information
Environment and Development Economics , Volume 16 , Issue 6 , December 2011 , pp. 735 - 749
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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