Assessing the Magnitude, Perceptions, and Determinants of Willingness to Pay for Waste Management in Bengkulu City, Indonesia
This study aims to analyze the perception of the Bengkulu City community towards waste management and the willingness to pay fees to improve the quality of waste management services. The study was conducted through a questionnaire distributed to 134 respondents in nine sub-districts and 67 villages in Bengkulu City. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression to evaluate the influence of socio-economic factors such as age, education level, occupation, income, and number of family members on community perceptions and willingness to pay (WTP). In addition, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was used to determine the estimated average WTP. The results showed that information on waste management was well received by 57.1% of respondents, but this was not followed by adequate attitudes and real actions. As many as 83% of respondents had a poor attitude towards waste management, and 92% did not support waste management policy. Age and income factors significantly influenced attitudes towards waste management, while actions are not significantly affected. The majority of respondents (95.5%) indicated a willingness to pay additional fees if waste management is improved, with the highest nominal fee option being IDR 25,000 per month. Currently, waste management costs are still lower than the fees paid. This study identifies the potential for improving waste management through increased community participation and more effective fund management.