Groundwater Valuation and Quality Preservation in Iran: The Case of Yazd

Groundwater can be used directly or indirectly and any decline in its quality or quantity may negatively impact the environment. Through groundwater valuation, people are made aware of the fact that groundwater is not free of charge and therefore the significance of groundwater preservation is established. In this study, groundwater quality preservation value has been estimated for the city of Yazd based on the contingent valuation method (CVM). The methodology used consisted of field study and library research. After determining the sample size using Cochran’s formula, the distributed questionnaires were filled by the inhabitants of the city of Yazd. Thereafter, the results were analysed using Excel and EViews. Finally, people’s willingness to pay for the preservation of Yazd groundwater quality was estimated to be US$18.5 annually per capita, which is a remarkable value. Hence, it was determined that groundwater quality preservation was of great value to the inhabitants of Yazd.