Table 1 Contingent valuation method to estimate regulating and cultural services

Flood control

You have witnessed floods and sediments for a long time in your area. You know better than I do about the causes which could be deforestation/degradation, land use changes and unmanaged infrastructure development. You are aware of the impacts of sediment and flood damage to public and private properties like agriculture land (144,724 ha), livestock (US$ 96.50 million), houses (192,510), irrigation (961 schemes), transport—local roads, bridges, culverts (26.60 mil) and human casualties (almost 134 lives) including more than US$ 552 million loss) in Tarai-Madesh area in last August 2017 (NPC 2017). You might still remember or have heard about- worse past incidents in your area

Considering the current situation, GON is going to implement various forests management activities under Chure management to reduce the risk of human casualty, and loss of private property through unsustainable management of forests. GON wants to reduce the impacts of the deposition of sediment and flood, which you are frequently suffer from. Particular forest management activities can increase tree and ground cover that can control the problem of frequent flooding in your area. Currently, you know that the forest crown cover is almost 55%. As a resident of several years, you know better than me about the “flood control benefits” of increased crown cover of the forests on your private property only. Here, we are proposing three hypothetical scenarios (increasing CC by 15%, 30% and 45%). This will not totally mitigate the whole flood problem, however, it can reduce the losses on your private property significantly. Considering the impacts and potential mitigation measures to protect your private property, and remembering that this will reduce your purchasing power or labour force, and implications of the outcomes and uncertainty about the actual cost to improve the forest condition, would you vote in favour of reducing such loss of private property?

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

If yes, what would be the highest amount in cash or labour days of contribution as an annual fee/labour contribution to each of the three scenarios (15%, 30% and 45%) improvements in CC?

Increase CC by 15%

Increase CC by 30%

Increase CC by 45%

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

If no, why do you say no? What would be the least amount of cash/labour contribution in all three scenarios?

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

Water quality improvement

You have witnessed situations, problems, and causes of poor water quality in your area. You know better than I do the causes which could be deforestation/degradation, intensive agriculture and unmanaged infrastructure development. You are aware of the impacts of WQ on your family especially increase in maintenance cost of water pipe clogging/plumbing, cost of additional pipes for your pump to access good quality water compared to several years ago, and ultimately problems in human health. This also demands additional maintenance and consequently increased water maintenance and treatment costs like chemicals, filtering and boiling. At the same, you are also interested in receiving good quality water through a long-term solutions. Considering your current situation, GON is going to implement various forest management measures to improve the water quality and help reduce the risks to human health through sustainable management of forests

GON wants to provide quality water, which you also want to receive. These forest management activities can increase tree and ground cover and thus improve water quality in your area. Currently, you know that the forest crown cover is almost 55%. As a resident of several years, you know better than me the “water quality improvement benefits” derived through increased crown cover of the forests: decrease water treatment costs and gaining health benefits for you and your family. Here, we are proposing three hypothetical scenarios (increasing CC by 15%, 30% and 45%). This will not totally mitigate all water related problems; however, it can decrease the cost of achieving quality water and can also significantly moderate risks to human health. Considering your impacts and potential mitigation measures to decrease water treatment cost and gaining health benefits for you and your family, and also remembering that this will reduce your purchasing power or labour force, implications of the outcomes and uncertainty about the actual cost to improve the forest condition, would you vote in favour of water quality improvement through forest management activities?

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

If yes, what would be the highest amount in-terms of cash or labour days contribution as an annual fee or labour contribution of all three 15%, 30% and 45% CC improvement?

Increase CC by 15%

Increase CC by 30%

Increase CC by 45%

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

If no, why do you say no? What would be the least amount of cash/labour contribution in all three scenario?

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

Aesthetic

You have witnessed situations, problems, and causes of aesthetic quality decreasing in your forests area. You know better than I do the causes which could be deforestation/degradation, other land use changes and unmanaged infrastructure development. You are also aware of the impacts on aesthetic values in you and your family especially loss of greenery or changing one land use system to other compared to several years back, and ultimately your decrease in satisfaction from the aesthetic values of the forests. At the same time, you are also interested in receiving aesthetic quality through a long-term solution

Considering your current situation, GON is going to implement various forests management activities to maintain or improve the aesthetic value of forests through sustainable management of forests. GON would like to assure you of providing aesthetic quality, which you are also interested in receiving. These forest management activities would increase tree and ground cover and thus improve the situation of aesthetic value in your forest area. Currently, you know that the forest crown cover is almost 55%. As a resident of several years, you know better than I do the “aesthetic improvement benefits” through increased crown cover of the forests to you and your family. Here, we are proposing three hypothetical scenarios (increasing CC by 15%, 30% and 45%). This will not totally improve the whole aesthetic issue; however, it can significantly increase satisfaction. Considering your satisfaction from increased forest cover and gaining personal benefits for you and your family, and also remembering that this will reduce your purchasing power or labour force, implications of the outcomes and uncertainty about the actual cost to improve the forest condition how would you vote in favour of aesthetic quality improvement through forest management activities?

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

If yes, what would be the highest amount of cash or labour days contribution as an annual fee or labour contribution to all three 15%, 30% and 45% CC improvements?

Increase CC by 15%

Increase CC by 30%

Increase CC by 30%

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

If no, why do you say no? What would be the least amount of cash/labour contribution to all three scenarios?

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

Bequest

You have witnessed current bequest value in your forest area. You know better than I do the causes which could be deforestation/degradation, land use changes and unmanaged infrastructure development that impact the BV of your forests. BV is a non-use value that denotes a special case of option value representing the value (to current users) of being able to bequeath the value of FES to coming generations. It is not like existence values which are fuzzy values and which accrue mainly to people who do not use the forest, and may never see it except in books. In countries like Nepal, where people are more religious, are immersed in traditional culture and believe in incarnation, and earn and save everything for the future generation; forest users may agree to amount of WTP to bequeath the forest to your children and grandchildren. You are also aware that our society believes in incarnation and is conscious of future benefits to your off-spring in your future generation

Considering your current situation, GON is going to implement various forests management activities to improve the bequest value through a variety of management activities in forests. GON would like to improve forest quality, which you are also interested in improving. Such forest management activities can increase tree and ground cover that can improve the value of your forest area. Currently, you know that the forest cover is almost 55%. As a resident of several years, you know better than I do about the bequest value of forests derived through forests management. Here, we are proposing three hypothetical scenarios (increasing CC 15%, 30% and 45%). This will not only determine the total bequest value, but will also significantly increase bequest value. Considering your ability to protect the forests for future generations, and also remembering that this will decrease your purchasing power or labour force, implications of the outcomes and uncertainty about the actual cost to improve the forest condition would you vote in favour of BV?

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

If yes, what would be the highest amount in-terms of cash or labour days contribution of all three 15%, 30% and 45% CC improvements?

Increase CC by 15%

Increase CC by 30%

Increase CC by 30%

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year

If no, why do you say no? What will be the least amount of cash/labour contribution as an annual fee or labour contribution to all three scenarios?

In cash NRs……/Year

Labour days …../Year