Cost and Benefit of Restoring a Degraded Forest Reserve in Abia State Nigeria

ABSTRACT This study accessed costs and benefits associated with restoring a degraded forest. Forest degradation has become a significant environmental concern, leading to the loss of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and economic opportunities. The study evaluated the financial, ecological, and socio-economic aspects of forest restoration. By quantifying the costs and benefits, the project aims to provide valuable insights for decision-makers and stakeholders involved in forest restoration efforts. Nine of the user groups in UFR were identified before full and used the payment card system (PCS) under the contingent valuation method (CVM) to elicit information on the users' willingness to accept (WTA) compensation if they are asked not to use the reserve for some time to give room for rehabilitation vis-à-vis reforestation. The result showed that an aggregate value of 39.3 million Naira per annum, or a one-off compensation of 15.2 million Naira, might make the sample population as well off with the reserve as without it. As compensation costs appear to be a significant part of the true cost of implementing protected area projects, we suggested that it should be built into project design at an early stage. The conclusion was reached that willingness to accept compensation by forest users might indicate their preferences for protecting forest resources or benefits of improving forest qualities. Hence, the WTA compensation responses and amounts could be a reliable predictors or indicators of future behaviors if a rehabilitation vis-à-vis forestation projects were actually initiated for UFR, or even as a measure of resistance and displeasure against conversion of urban and peri-urban forest lands to other uses. Key words: Contingent valuation method (CVM), Payment card system (PCS) Naira (N), Ukom Forest Reserve (UFR), Willingness to accept (WTA), Compensation, Rehabilitation, Protection and User groups.