The effect of political preferences on willingness to pay for landscape protection : the case of Zonqor Point, Malta

Abstract

This study examines whether willingness to pay differs according to the individual’s political preferences in Malta. This premise is tested on the case of the proposed development at Zonqor Point, a rural area in the South of Malta. Utilising a Contingent Valuation Survey, individuals are asked to state their willingness to pay for the protection of landscape subject to a hypothetical market. The results indicate that willingness to pay is determined by age, residence and workplace proximity to Zonqor Point and the individual’s degree of religiosity. Recent international literature suggests that political preferences may play a role in determining pro-environmental behaviour. Most of the literature finds that left-wing individuals are more pro-environmental and more willing to pay for environmental protection. In this study, trust in Government is used as a measure of political preferences which is also tested by political attachment. The results indicate that individuals who trust the present Government have a lower willingness to pay than those who do not. Persons who do not trust the Government are willing to pay more to prevent a Government project which results in the loss of agricultural land and open spaces. The findings of this study provide important insights on the extent to which trust in Government effects individual’s behaviour in Malta towards landscape protection. Therefore, this is useful for future contingent valuation studies since it stresses the need for political preferences data to be collected and taken into consideration when valuing environmental landscapes in Malta.