Public Preferences for Water Allocation between Local Food Production and Protecting Watersheds in Hawai‘i

Sustainable water allocation between local food production and protecting watershed health is a priority area in water resource planning in Hawai‘i. This paper employs the multinomial logit model to measure public preferences for water allocation and provides policy recommendations for formulating a sustainable agricultural water management policy. Estimated positive marginal willingness-to-pay (WTP) values of food self-sufficiency, watershed health, and biodiversity richness reflect public desire to invest in sustainable water management. Hence, stakeholder involvement at the watershed level is important for sustainable water management, as water is considered a public trust resource. The social cost of alternative water uses should be incorporated into water policy decisions on water allocation to preserve economic efficiency and ecological sustainability. Water policy and law in Hawai‘i account for social, economic, and ecological concerns in water resource management. This study integrates such concerns and the Public Trust Doctrine into water management policy decisions to benefit water users. Hence, the study findings are crucial for setting priorities in funding and making decisions regarding efficient water allocation for food production and protecting watersheds in Hawai‘i.