How Distance Influences Residents' Willingness to Pay for River Protection: Empirical Evidence Based on Contingent Valuation Method

ABSTRACT Exploring the effect of distance on residents' willingness to pay (WTP) for river protection is important for policymaking and cost‐sharing. However, the literature lacks attention to the spatial characteristics of rivers. The mechanism of various factors at different distances influencing respondents' WTP needs further exploration. This study used a double‐bounded dichotomous choice framework and face‐to‐face interviews with residents in the Songhua River Basin. By constructing the contoured WTP model, the influence mechanism of distance on WTP in different contoured regions is explored, and the mean WTP is 179.79, 127.92 and 107.56 CNY per year, respectively. The paired t test reveals differences between each contoured region's mean WTP, verifying the distance decay. The influence mechanisms of WTP vary with distance. As the distance increases, the influence of distance variables on WTP decreases, and the role of socioeconomic variables is enhanced.