sustainability Article The Local Residents’ Concerns about Environmental Issues in Northwest China Fanus A. Aregay 1,2, Minjuan Zhao 1,*, Xiaoping Li 1, Xianli Xia 1 and Haibin Chen 1 1 College of Economics & Management, Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; [email protected] (F.A.); [email protected] (X.L.); [email protected] (X.X.); [email protected] (H.C.) 2 Hamelmalo Agricultural College, Keren, Hamelmalo, PO. Box 397, Keren, Eritrea * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-298-708-1398 Academic Editor: Pauline Deutz Received: 2 December 2015; Accepted: 25 February 2016; Published: 4 March 2016 Abstract: This paper analyzes public awareness and perception about current issues of environmental and water resources in China in comparison to the socio-economic issues. The ranking, Likert scale, and ordered logit analysis were applied to data from 1773 sample residents in northwest China. The results show that the residents rank the degradation of the ecological environment and water resources as the most important issue, and education, political involvement, gender, employment, and residential location play significant roles in explaining the observed differences in concern. Of the possible environmental and water resource restoration policies, residents ranked water quantity and quality, agricultural and industrial water use, erosion control, vegetation restoration, wildlife habitat, animal brooding and migration services, biodiversity landscape, and eco-tourism from one to nine in order of importance, respectively. The results are relevant for policymaking and imply that environmental restoration is a high public demand. Welfare gains from investments in it would be higher or equal to gains from other socio-economic and livelihood activities. Thus, public policies must emphasize restoring and maintaining a sustainable ecological environment. Keywords: environmental awareness; perceptions; water quality; Shiyang River; Weihe River; environmental policy 1. Introduction Water and environmental problems are important issues with far-reaching impacts on livelihood and socio-economic development in China [1–4]. Overexploitation of natural resources [5], outdoor air pollution and sandstorms [6], land degradation and acidity, and excessive industrial and domestic waste materials in water bodies [7] are concurrent issues in the post-economic reform era (since the late 1970s). The economic cost of these issues was estimated at 9% of the country’s gross national income in 2008 [1]. Considerable progress has been made in the last few decades in understanding people’s value on environmental goods and services. There is a large existing literature on the local, national and international level. This shows the preference of people for welfare estimation and cost-benefit analysis of environmental policies [8–14]. Based on those previous studies, there is little doubt that the environment is important to people. However, the importance of the environment relative to socio-economic issues is not as clear. Despite its importance for scientific information and policymaking, public concern about the state of the ecological environment and water resources management in comparison to other related socio-economic issues is poorly understood and unstudied in China. Some relevant evidence from other countries includes a report from the ministry of Environment of New Zealand which states that 87% of New Zealanders consider the environment to be important Sustainability 2016, 8, 226; doi:10.3390/su8030226 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2016, 8, 226 2 of 12 Sustainability 2015, 7, 226 2 of 12 of Environment of New Zealand which states that 87% of New Zealanders consider the environment or very important to them. They rate the quality of the natural environment as the third most to be important or very important to them. They rate the quality of the natural environment as the important aspect of New Zealand, behind quality of life and the quality of education [15]. Dunlap’s [16] third most important aspect of New Zealand, behind quality of life and the quality of education [15]. multi-countryDunlap’s [16] analysis multi‐country also reports analysis that also less-developed reports that less countries‐developed are morecountries likely are view more environmental likely view issuesenvironmental as serious communityissues as serious problems community than developed problems countries. than developed The relative countries. importance The of relative different environmentalimportance of issues different differs environmental across countries. issues differs across countries. Therefore,Therefore, the the main main objectiveobjective of of this this paper paper is to is investigate to investigate the importance the importance of environmental of environmental and andwater water resource resource amenities amenities relative relative to other to other social social and andeconomic economic needs needs in northwest in northwest China. China. It also It alsoidentifies identifies the the relative relative importance importance of ofdifferent different ecological ecological and and environmental environmental issues issues to the to the public. public. Moreover,Moreover, it discoversit discovers heterogeneity heterogeneity with with respect respect to twoto two geographic geographic regions—the regions—the Shiyang Shiyang River River Basin inBasin Gansu in Province Gansu Province and the and Weihe the Weihe River River Basin Basin in Shaanxi in Shaanxi Province—as Province—as case case studies. studies. The The rest rest of of the paperthe paper is organized is organized as follows. as follows. Section Section2 describes 2 describes the datathe data and and study study area, area, and and a description a description of of the questionnairethe questionnaire design design is given is given in Section in Section3. Section 3. Section4 discusses 4 discusses the the empirical empirical results results followed by by a a discussiondiscussion and and conclusion conclusion in in Section Section5 .5. 2.2. Study Study Area Area and and Sample Sample DescriptionDescription 2.1.2.1. Weihe Weihe River River Basin Basin TheThe Weihe Weihe River River is is the the largest largest tributary tributary ofof the Yellow River. River. It It originates originates from from a amountain mountain near near WeyuanWeyuan County County of of Gansu Gansu Province Province and and is referredis referred to to as as the the mother mother of of Shaanxi Shaanxi Province Province because because it it has playedhas played a very a important very important role in role the in development the development of Shaanxi of Shaanxi Province Province since since ancient ancient times times and and is is still playingstill playing a crucial a crucial role in role Western in Western China’s China’s development development [17 ].[17]. Almost Almost half half of of the the total total area area coverage coverage of 2 3 theof basin the basin (135,000 (135,000 km 2km) lies) lies in Shaanxiin Shaanxi Province Province (Figure (Figure1 ).It1).It annually annually generatesgenerates 6992 6992 million million m m of3 of water.water. This This river river runs runs from from west west to to east east across across thethe Guanzhong plain. plain. The The population population in in the the river river basin basin is about 22 million, which is 61% of the total population of Shaanxi. At its Shaanxi section, this basin is about 22 million, which is 61% of the total population of Shaanxi. At its Shaanxi section, this basin covers a cultivated area of 1,665,000 hectares, 950,000 hectares of which are irrigated. The area plays covers a cultivated area of 1,665,000 hectares, 950,000 hectares of which are irrigated. The area plays a crucial strategic role in the China Western Development Program. However, many environmental a crucial strategic role in the China Western Development Program. However, many environmental problems exist in the region. In the Weihe River Basin, the water availability per capita per annum problems exist in the region. In the Weihe River Basin, the water availability per capita per annum is is only 13% of the national level. With rapid economic development in the in recent years, many onlyproblems 13% of thehave national arisen. level.These With include rapid an economic increasing development scarcity of water in the resources in recent [17], years, climate many change problems have[18], arisen. water These pollution include and an regional increasing ecological scarcity environment of water resources deterioration. [17], climate A stratified change [random18], water pollutionsampling and strategy regional was ecological used to include environment all the deterioration.major drainage A areas stratified and direct random beneficiaries sampling of strategy the wasbasin used as to described include allin theTable major 1 below. drainage The socio areas‐economic and direct description beneficiaries of the of thesample basin respondents as described is in Tablegiven1 below. in Table The 2. socio-economic description of the sample respondents is given in Table2. FigureFigure 1.1. MapMap of Weihe River Basin. Basin. Sustainability 2016, 8, 226 3 of 12 Table 1. Sample area and composition of the Weihe River Basin. Sample Area Non-Farmers Farmers Total Baoji 115 115 230 Xianyang 95 125 220 Weinan 102 121 223 Huayin (county-level city in Weinan prefecture) 114 113 227 Total 426 474 900 Table 2. Socio-economic description