Economic Valuation of Forest Restoration Programs in Togo: A Contingent Valuation Approach

Abstract

This study assesses Togolese households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for forest restoration programs across the five economic regions of Togo: Maritime, Plateaux, Centrale, Kara, and Savanes. Forests provide essential ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, water regulation, biodiversity conservation, and soil protection, yet these services are often undervalued in economic decision-making. The assessment was conducted using the contingent valuation (CV) method, with labor contributions as the payment vehicle, subsequently converted into monetary equivalents. A total of 238 valid responses were analyzed after removing protest responses. The WTP values were examined using a Tobit regression model to identify the main sociodemographic determinants. The results reveal significant regional disparities: the Savanes region exhibits the highest average WTP (65,625 CFA), whereas the Maritime region shows the lowest (37,261 CFA). Young adults and women are generally more willing to contribute, although patterns vary across regions. Urban residence tends to reduce WTP in the Maritime and Kara regions, likely due to a lower perception of the direct benefits of forest ecosystem services. Overall, this study provides crucial empirical evidence to inform forest restoration planning and sustainable forest policy in Togo, demonstrating the value of contingent valuation for designing context-specific environmental policies in developing countries.