ecosystem services; environmental challenges; tree planting; university students; willingness to pay; Computer Science (miscellaneous); Geography, Planning and Development; Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment; Building and Construction; Environmental Science (miscellaneous); Energy Engineering and Power Technology; Hardware and Architecture; Computer Networks and Communications; Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Abstract :
[en] There is a growing interest in greening schools, campuses, and workplaces due to the perceived ecosystem services provided by trees. However, students’ willingness to participate in and financially support the greening process is less examined. Using a questionnaire survey based on the contingent valuation method (CVM) and Likert scale, 1278 students from 13 universities were interviewed on their willingness to participate in tree planting and pay for their maintenance to promote green and clean campuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Most of the students interviewed were male (61%) and enrolled as undergraduates (60%). While 65% of the respondents agreed with the idea of planting trees, this agreement was significantly associated with students’ awareness of climate change, the university attended, and the sources of information on the roles of trees in the community. The binary logit results showed that university courses (environment-related) and television broadcasts significantly affected students’ willingness to participate in tree planting. Overall, students (70%) agreed to pay for tree maintenance, and their willingness to pay (WTP) was estimated mainly at less than USD 5 per year. The price to pay was a significant factor in determining students’ willingness to pay for tree maintenance. Findings suggest that students’ willingness to support tree planting and maintenance is a crucial factor for academic authorities and planners to consider in order to successfully implement green infrastructures to improve the campus environment and make educational and work spaces sustainably attractive.
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology
Author, co-author :
Balasha, Arsene Mushagalusa ; Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic Congo
Balasha, Benjamin Murhula; Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic Congo
Bienvenu, Mulunda Selenge; Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Kalemie, Kalemie, Democratic Republic Congo
Bahati, Kapoya; Faculty of Economics and Management, Université Libre de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic Congo
Patrick, Kibazi; Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic Congo
Kazadi, Laurent Kabala; Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic Congo
Kalumbu, John Tshomba; Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic Congo
Bogaert, Jan ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Biodiversité et Paysage
Sikuzani, Yannick Useni; Ecological Restoration and Landscape Unit, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Ecology, Democratic Republic Congo
Authors would like to thank Jerome Isambe for his participation in data collection. Thank you to CHARLU Project (ARES-CCD, Belgium) for funding a part of the APC of this publication. Many thanks to the anonymous reviewers who provided insightful comments on the manuscript of this article.
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