Abstract:
This study explores public perception and their willingness to pay for open water area recreational development in two distinct locations: Diyatha Uyana, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte and Beach Park, Matara in Sri Lanka. A total number of 600 questionnaire surveys were carried out with users and non-users of the recreational areas in two locations. The monetary value of urban waterfront development was estimated by the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) using payment card approach. Enjoying peace and relaxation, taking children to play and breath clean air was mentioned as the most important aspects of open water body in Diyatha Uyana area. In Beach Park, the most important activities were chatting or gather with friends and enjoy the natural landscape. More frequent visits occur to enjoy peace and relaxation, breath clean air and enjoy the natural landscape. In both cases, almost all the participants were agreed upon conserving open water body areas in urban settings. Willingness To Pay (WTP) was significantly associated with job and gender in Diyatha Uyana. It yielded a monthly average payment of Rs. Rs.476.93 per month for another five years. In Beach Park, participant’s education level, have a child, housing type and time lived in the area were significantly associated with the WTP values. The monthly average WTP was Rs.211.53 per month for another five years. There were 81 zero bids in Diyatha Uyana while the same for Beach Park was 20. The limited budget was the main reason for not willing to pay in Diyatha Uyana. This program was not important to people in Beach Park and it was the reason for not willing to pay. In Sri Lanka, current urban development practice mainly promotes water body development in the Colombo Metropolitan area. The findings of this study argue that water body based planning initiatives are also useful for regional centres and such investments can be justified. Further, this paper is significant as there was no comparative CVM study had been carried on water body development in Sri Lanka.
