Analyzing Spatial Variability of Social Preference for the Everglades Restoration in the Face of Climate Change

The South Florida Everglades is a unique ecosystem. Intensive water management in the system have facilitated agricultural, urban and economic development. It offers a variety of ecosystem services (ES) to the people living in this region. Nevertheless, the ecosystem is under imminent threat of climate change which would alter the way water is managed today and ultimately affect the ES offered by the system. On the other hand, substantial restoration is underway that aims to restore the Everglades close to its historic condition. This research tried to map publics’ preference for the Everglades restoration. Using a geocoded discrete choice survey dataset, the study showed variation in public’s preference by changing the levels of ES. Additionally, general publics’ attitude toward climate change risk to the Everglades and preference for mitigation were also assessed using the survey data.