Valuing governance and ecological attributes in urban river restoration using a discrete choice experiment in Vietnam

Abstract The long-term success of urban river restoration often hinges on the synergy between ecological improvements and robust governance frameworks. This study utilizes a discrete choice experiment involving 560 residents along the Kenh Xang corridor in Ho Chi Minh City to estimate willingness to pay (WTP) for restoration attributes, explicitly integrating water quality, biodiversity, and recreational amenities with governance mechanisms (i.e., monitoring and educational programs). Employing a latent class model, the analysis uncovers substantial preference heterogeneity within the population. While improved water quality elicits the highest average WTP, residents also assign significant value to riparian amenities and habitat rehabilitation. Crucially, the findings demonstrate that governance is not merely an ancillary factor but functions as a foundational institutional guarantee; significant premiums for community monitoring and educational initiatives signal a robust public demand for transparency, stewardship, and participatory accountability. Although quantitative estimates are context-specific, these insights offer a broader conceptual framework for strategically sequencing investments in blue-green infrastructure across rapidly urbanizing Southeast Asian contexts.