DISSERTATION

My dissertation explores the economic aspects of two crucial environmental issues: habitat loss and dam removal, focusing on the New England region in the United States. 

First Essay

The first essay examines New England's urgent need for conservation action due to habitat loss, driven by human activities like deforestation and urbanization. Private landowners play a pivotal role in conservation efforts. Through a survey of over 2,000 landowners, the study assesses homeowners’ willingness to invest time and money in local wildlife habitat landscaping on their private property, identifying factors influencing their decisions. The findings provide valuable insights into targeted policies aimed at promoting private land conservation in New England.

Second Essay

The second essay examines the complex debates surrounding dam removal, particularly in New Hampshire, where aging infrastructure poses risks to both ecosystems and communities. Unlike conventional cost-benefit analyses, this study evaluates the use and nonuse values of dams by assessing stakeholders' willingness to pay or accept compensation for dam removal through a contingent valuation (CV) method. Also, the study applies the Kaldor-Hicks criterion to investigate whether policies favored by the majority may neglect significant negative impacts on a minority. Building on existing literature, the study extends the analysis to explore the feasibility of dam removal policies through referendums, considering the diverse perspectives of both supporters and opponents.

Third Essay

The third essay conducts a meta-analysis to synthesize existing research on global stakeholders' willingness to pay for dam removal. The study aims to offer robust insights into the economic valuation of dam removal by quantifying average willingness to pay across regions, identifying influencing factors, assessing methodological approaches, and exploring sources of heterogeneity in the WTP values found by existing studies. These insights are crucial for informed decision-making in river restoration initiatives, helping prioritize restoration efforts effectively to enhance ecosystem health and mitigate the impacts of aging infrastructure.

This dissertation makes the following significant contributions: (1) the inclusion of time along with money in exploring private landowners’ investment decision landscaping for local wildlife habitats, (2) the disaggregation of the stakeholders into supporters and opposers of dam removal, and the inclusion of the willingness to accept compensation for opposers, (3) the application of the Kaldor-Hicks criterion to investigate the viability of a policy through a referendum in the case of dam removal decisions.

Overall, the dissertation contributes to understanding the economic valuation of environmental goods by addressing critical issues such as habitat loss and dam removal, providing valuable insights for policymakers, conservationists, and stakeholders involved in environmental sustainability management and decision-making processes.