Resident preferences for augmented rainstorm disasters management strategies: the case of Nanjing in China

In recent years, rainstorm disasters have enormously negative effect on property safety and life safety in Nanjing. In order to achieve the consistency of optimal social supply of rainstorm disasters prevention management strategies and public sector supply, this paper studies citizens’ preferences for augmented strategies in Nanjing. Using a choice experiment approach, we consider willingness-to-pay (WTP) for augmented efforts for non-structural reform strategy of rainstorm runoff control, structural reform strategy of rainstorm drainage and non-structural education. Our results showed that citizens were generally in favor of augmented rainstorm disaster prevention management strategies, but with varying degrees. They were most favorable to increased educational effort that does not physically affect rainstorm, with the WTP of ¥134.29 a year. Followed by improvements in Non-structural Reform Strategy of Rainstorm Runoff Control, its WTP was ¥88.08 a year. The improving Structural Reform Strategy of Rainstorm drainage was less influential, but still significantly affected policy choice with the WTP of ¥55.42 a year. Specifically, the results of latent class model best confirmed the assumption that individual preference is heterogeneous. Furthermore, in order to gain the support of the public, policy-makers should advance publicly linked strategies such as mentioned in this study that appear most useful.