| Abstract: |
This paper shows that cultural identity may have considerable influence on the
WTP to protect natural resources. The Basque Country, the region with the
highest ethnic homogeneity in Europe, serves as an example to illustrate how
important this issue can be in the environmental valuation of natural
resources. The rationale for this influence may be found in the deep roots of
the Basque culture, a culture where amalurra (mother Earth), i.e. the natural
environment, has a central role, as studies from diverse disciplines such as
anthropology, psychology and political science have shown. Simulated full
distribution of the WTP to protect a Basque natural area using a random
parameter logit model reveals that mean marginal WTP to protect its
environmental attributes is approximately 60% higher if the cultural identity
of the respondent is Basque. To our knowledge, this is the first application
to show the influence of cultural identity on the WTP to protect natural
resources. Our findings have some methodological and policy implications. On
the one hand, failure to take into account cultural identitary issues could
result in significantly biased results in benefit transfer applications. On
the other hand, policies aimed at conservation natural resources should
consider the cultural context in which they will be implemented. |