Public Preference Analysis and Social Benefits Evaluation of River Basin Ecological Restoration: Application of the Choice Experiments for the Shiyang River, China

Revealing public preferences regarding the ecological restoration of a river basin and evaluating the associated social benefits provide important references for the development of related policies. Taking the Shiyang River Basin as an example, this study quantified and analyzed the difference in public preferences regarding the ecological restoration of the river basin by the choice experiments method and the random parameters logit (RPL) model. It also evaluated the social benefits of river basin ecological restoration. The results showed that (1) The residents all hoped to improve the ecological environment of the Shiyang River Basin and were willing to bear certain restoration costs. (2) There were significant differences in public preferences for ecological restoration of the river basin. These differences existed between the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the river and between urban and rural residents. (3) The average annual cost of ecological restoration that the basin residents were willing to pay was between 505.833 ∼ 948.571 RMB yuan, and the total annual benefits of ecological restoration were 381.2 million RMB yuan. Based on these conclusions, the following recommendations were made. First, future ecological and environmental policies should be further combined with public preferences; and even cross-regional ecological compensation can be introduced to balance the interests of different social groups, to win public support. Second, increased water-saving technology in industries and agriculture, residents’ awareness of water conservation, and the management of water pollution measures should be promoted in order to improve the ecological environment of the river basin. Third, the budget for the ecological restoration of the Shiyang River Basin should be 381.2 million yuan per year. Costs should be controlled while meeting the restoration goals.