An application of the contingent valuation method to estimate the loss of value of water resources due to pesticide contamination: The case of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

This paper determines the degradation of the rural water system in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, due to pesticide application for rice production. The theoretical framework of the contingent valuation method is identified and its empirical application to the valuation of the rural water resources is presented via a case study in the Mekong Delta. Study results show that the loss of value of the rural water resources due to pesticide contamination in the Mekong Delta is about US$251 million.