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چکیده
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Wetlands have many valuable services, benefiting human life in so many ways. Wetlands all over the world are under serious threat from a diverse range of non-sustainable activities. One of the most important reasons for excessive depletion is due to underestimating the non-market values of wetland. The Zarivar Lake is located on west Zagros mountain chains in the west of Iran. With 37 rare bird species and its diverse flora and fauna, the Lake Zarivar is recognized as one of Iran's unique natural heritage sites. The area also hosts diverse animal species such as forest dormice, golden hamsters, marbled polecats, ermines, Eurasian lynx and white-toothed shrew, most of which are enlisted as endangered species. The Lake also houses a wide range of fish species, including different types of carp, top mouth gudgeon, spiny eel and a genus of ray-finned fish called Chalcalburnus. The lake is an important source of socioeconomic benefits to the population around the area. Its fisheries resource is an important economic contribution of the lake for family subsistence. Moreover, the Lake provides such a natural scenery, bird watching, hunting, and recreation. However, this Lake has faced a lot of threats such as pressure resulting from the wastewater discharge from adjacent populated areas, chemical fertilizers and pesticides from farmland, improper solid waste management and the pressure caused by increasing number of tourists. These threats are devastating its ecological and environmental quality. The objective of this study is to estimate the non-market values of the Zarivar Lake, employing dichotomous choice CVM approach to find out the people preferences and WTP for wetland conservation through questionnaires. Based on experts and consultations the following services were selected: maintenance and preservation of biodiversity and their habitat, preservation of natural sceneries. Donation is preferred as a payment vehicle. Single-bounded DC-CVM was employed to estimate th
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