Abstract

The benefits of environmental restoration projects are frequently underestimated because decision makers tend to ignore the non-use values of such projects. Using data from a representative contingent valuation survey conducted in Beijing in 2013 and of information gathered during five focus group workshops in Xinjiang, we show that environmental improvements in the Tarim Basin in Northwest China would not only enhance the wellbeing of the local population but also of people living in other parts of the country. In both study sites we find similar preferences for various ecosystem services and the mitigation of environmental problems. Furthermore, respondents from Xinjiang and Beijing were willing to contribute approximately equal shares of their income to a prospective environmental project aimed at the restoration of the Tarim Basin’s natural ecosystems. We conclude that government representatives should consider the preferences of people from all parts of China when deciding on future land and water management strategies in Northwest China.

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