Willingness to Pay for the Conservation of Natural Resources: The Case of Sepidan Land and Rangeland Restoration in Iran

ABSTRACT Land resources provide essential ecosystem services (ESs) that improve welfare, making their conservation. Considering stakeholders' perceptions of the environmental importance of land resources and their desire to participate in the conservation value of these resources. The novelty of this study lies in environmental opinion and desire for participation rangeland in environmental evaluations in Iran. This study aimed to determine administrators' priorities and individuals' preferences for ESs in the Sepidan rangelands, located in Fars province, Iran, and identify the factors influencing individuals' willingness to pay (WTP) for land restoration and the total value of land resources. Data were collected using a semi‐structured questionnaire administered to 11 rangeland experts and natural resources specialists, and 165 households in Sepidan plain. About 33% of administrators prioritized regulating (R) services, while 28% of individuals preferred biodiversity (B) services. Among the various ESs of rangeland and land restoration, economic (E) services had the lowest priority. About 75% of administrators considered explaining the importance of ESs to be effective in persuading individuals to pay for rangeland and land restoration at medium, high, and very high levels. The mean individuals' WTP was assessed to be 124.675 thousand Iranian tomans (US$6.23), while the total value of conserving the Sepidan rangelands was 4985 million Iranian tomans (US$249,250) bid amount, education of the household head, main occupation, income, degradation cause, importance of ESs, and desire for participation were significant factors in individuals' WTP. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating stakeholder perceptions and participation into land restoration policies and valuation studies.