Households’ Preference for Payment Vehicles for Freshwater Lake Conservation: Evidence from Vellayani Lake, Kerala
G. Neeraja Giri *
Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, India.
Aswathy Vijayan
RARS, Ambalavayal, Wayanad, India.
Anil Kuruvila
Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, India.
A. R. Durga
Department of Basic and Allied Science, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, India.
T. Radhakrishnan
Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, India.
P. Amaya
Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Payment mechanisms shape how households consider contributing to freshwater conservation, but a preference for a collection channel is distinct from the amount respondents are willing to pay. This study examined stated preferences for two proposed payment vehicles for Vellayani Lake, Kerala.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 200 households in Kalliyoor and Venganoor grama panchayats and Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation was conducted in February–March 2026. A pre-tested structured interview schedule elicited socioeconomic information, lake-related perceptions and respondents’ preferences for payment through either a regular water bill or a separate Lake conservation fund. Frequencies, cross-tabulations and Pearson chi-square tests were used to examine unadjusted associations.
Results: Payment through the water bill was selected by 129 respondents (64.5%; exact 95% confidence interval [CI]: 57.4–71.1%), and the conservation fund by 71 (35.5%). Among respondents reporting domestic water supply from the lake, 123/169 (72.8%) preferred the water bill, compared with 6/31 (19.4%) of those reporting no lake-derived domestic supply (χ²[1] = 32.65, p < .001; exact conditional odds ratio = 10.99, 95% CI: 4.07–34.91). Gender (p = .025) and age (p = .028) showed unadjusted associations, but neither met a conservative seven-test multiplicity threshold; income, perceived quality, importance of protection and study location showed no statistically significant associations.
Conclusion: The water bill was the more frequently selected payment vehicle in this geographically restricted sample, especially among households reporting lake-derived domestic supply. These findings describe an unpriced stated choice and neither estimate willingness-to-pay amounts nor establish practical feasibility or future payment behaviour.
Keywords: Payment vehicle, stated preference, freshwater lake, conservation financing, household survey, Vellayani Lake