Social Perception and Willingness to Pay in Peruvian High Andean Lakes: A Study of Lake Patarcocha with Anthropogenic Contamination and Lake Parón Impacted by Glacial Retreat

Abstract

The lakes of the high Andean zones of Peru are ecosystems of great strategic importance, and they are being affected by climate change or anthropogenic impacts. The aim of this research was to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) for the restoration of Lake Patarcocha, which was conducted by activities of the population Chaupimarca, Pasco, and Lake Parón. In both cases, the contingent valuation method was applied to find the WTP. For Lake Patarcocha, a survey was conducted among 370 households near Lake Patarcocha, asking residents about the environmental impacts on water quality, flora, fauna, landscape, the importance of the lake in their daily lives, as well as the WTP for the recovery of the lake. For Lake Parón, a survey was conducted among 297 residents, who were asked about the services and environmental value provided by the lake. The data collected was then analyzed with the LOGIT model using STATA 16 statistical software. The results showed that households directly or indirectly affected by pollution in Lake Patarcocha had the WTP of $3.7 per inhabitant/month, estimating 1 136 773.1 million/year. While for Lake Parón, respondents revealed an average WTP of $23.9 per inhabitant/month, estimated at $1.4 million/year. The difference in the WTP between the two high Andean lakes is influenced by social belief and the local context, showing that the percept of Lake Parón, affected by glacial retreat in the basin, has a higher economic value than Lake Patarcocha, which has been affected by anthropogenic activities.