Measuring non-use values to proxy conservation preferences and policy impacts

Abstract

The behavior of local natural resource users is not only affected by economic incentives but also by a diverse set of motivations and underlying values. These non-monetary drivers are crucial in safeguarding long-term positive conservation outcomes. However, measuring these factors still constitutes a significant challenge. Building on lessons learned from established methodology such as attitudinal or behavioral measures, we showcase how a contingent valuation method and experimental donation tasks can be used to measure relative changes in non-use values and are a good proxy for conservation preferences. We exemplify this approach within the context of a case study in northern Namibia, where it was employed to investigate whether exposure to a community-based conservation program affects individual conservation preferences. Our findings show that our approach can serve as a complement to established measures for conservation preferences while avoiding some of the existing pitfalls such as demand effects or costly data collection associated with behavioral and attitudinal measures.