Economic valuation Recreational of the Pirsalman wetland of Hamedan province using the travel cost method

Wetlands are high-efficiency ecosystems that play an important role in the well-being of human societies. However, the health of these valuable ecosystems around the world, especially in developing countries, is severely affected by environmental pressures from human activities. Wetlands are known as one of the important centers for meeting the needs of recreation, On the other hand, given the growing demand of the people for the use of recreational resources and a study of the demands of the people to provide the necessary facilities and facilities, it is important. Economic valuation is a useful tool for estimating and comparing the benefits of wetlands and the costs associated with protecting them. In this research, the economic valuation of Pirsalman wetland has been investigated using the method of individual travel cost and linear functional form. 400 questionnaires were distributed among the visitors. Data were collected cross-sectionally and surveyally at the level of wetland visitors in 2019. Based on the results, marital status, occupation, age, income, distance to the lagoon and travel costs are the most effective factors on the number of annual visits. The surplus of individual consumers for the average number of visits was 1391500 Rials. Therefore, the surplus of the individual consumer is estimated at 347875 Rials per visit. Also, the total number of annual visits to the lagoon is estimated at 650,000 people. Therefore, the surplus of the expected total consumer is estimated at 22611875000000 Rials, which indicates the annual recreational value of the wetland. The results of this study provide valuable information to improve the recreational level of Pirsalman Wetland and can be useful for decision makers in long-term planning.