A review of primary and cascading hazards by exploring individuals’ willingness-to-pay for urban sustainability policies

The motivation of the present review is to comprehend the interaction between primary and cascading hazards in urban areas, aiming to create a novel holistic approach that improves urban sustainability based on individuals’ preferences for urban ecosystem services (ES) preservation. The objectives are to monitor valuation studies revealing willingness to pay (WTP) for urban challenges, assess non-marketed valuation studies, and examine hazard interactions and their impacts. Using data from Environmental Valuation Reference Inventory and Ecosystem Services Valuation Database, 80 studies on 220 WTP values were analyzed in the period 2000–2023. The findings show a mean WTP (MWTP) of 142€ for heatwave mitigation and 76€ for air pollution. Moreover, in terms of cascading hazards, the highest MWTP was for population density (298€), followed by biodiversity loss (96€), health issues (63€), and lastly by traffic and noise with 42€. Biodiversity loss emerged as the top concern, urging policymakers to enhance urban resilience. The review contributes to the latest literature regarding the MWTP for ES in urban settlements and provides relevant policy implications in order to improve urban resilience, safeguarding both human health and the natural environment.