Towards an Optimum Mobilization of Resources for Conservation of an Environmental Amenity: A Case Study of Kaziranga National Park, India

The Kaziranga National Park (KNP), a World Heritage Site rich in exceptional wildlife, in the northeast part of India has been constantly facing threats induced by both natural and anthropogenic factors. This paper tries to suggest an optimum resource mobilization mechanism for a better conservation of KNP. It first estimates the public and non-public good component values of the park. The estimated values are used to examine if the existing conservation efforts for KNP is economically justified and how to apportion the total cost of conservation between users of the park and general public. The results of analysis show that the conservation expenditure may be increased as it amounts to only 3.52% of total willingness to pay. Further, 8.86 % of conservation outlay be recovered from the users and the rest amount from general tax payers. The current user charge is found to be grossly underpriced, and there is scope for its upward revision for a better and more effective conservation.