Economic evaluation of environmental dust phenomenon damage (case of study: Ardakan city)

One of the phenomena related to air pollution that has been witnessed in western and south-western regions of Iran in recent times is that related to dust, an atmospheric phenomenon that has adverse environmental effects and impacts. Dust storms have had many negative effects on health, economics, society and the environment, resulting in huge damage to human resources, health, industry, and especially agriculture. The purpose of this study is to quantify the tangible (market) and intangible (non-market) damages caused by dust-related phenomena in the city of Ardakan. The data required in this study were obtained from the statistics and data recorded in Ardakan offices, as well as the completion of 244 double bounded dichotomous choice questionnaires in the agricultural sector and 509 questionnaires in the air pollution and urban green areas during 2016 using 30 pre-tests and Michels and Carson. In this study, the tangible and intangible damages of dust are valued using the conditional valuation method and market price. Using the logit model, the factors that affect the willingness to pay are estimated for each section using Shazam 9 and mathematical calculations using Maple Version 18 software. The results of this study showed that income and education variables have a positive and significant effect on people's willingness to pay for air pollution and urban green space. The variables of age, number of households and gender all had a negative and significant effect on people's willingness to pay for air pollution and urban green space in the face of the dust phenomenon. In the agricultural sector, variables such as age, number of employed people, education and income have a positive and significant effect on farmers' willingness to pay for agricultural products in the face of the dust phenomenon. The total value of the damages against this phenomenon to respond to air pollution is estimated at 33,185,478,480 Rials, the maintenance of agricultural products at 50,431,570,000 Rials and the maintenance of green space against dust- related phenomena at 30,736,160,140 Rials per year for the city of Ardakan. Also, the tangible losses from dust-related phenomena in terms of increased water consumption due to washing during dusty days is 2,762,736,640 Rials, the negative impact of dust on physical health and treatment costs and mortality due to asthma and bronchitis diseases at 15,548,414,040 Rials and the negative impact on the livestock sector and treatment costs and cattle losses were calculated 131,451,400,000 Rials using a market approach The results indicate that the total value of intangible and tangible damages for the city of Ardakan in 2016 were 114,353,208,620 Rls is 149,762,550,680 Rials, respectively. The value of the willingness to pay people in agriculture was higher than for other sectors. The livestock and poultry sector also has the highest figure among other tangible costs. Therefore, this estimate provides policy makers and authorities with the guidance needed for controlling the effects of dust on human environments.