The Role of Italian Local Agencies for Water Management in the Mitigation of and Adaptation to Climate Change: Stated Preference Methods for Future Sustainable Strategies

Climate change affects all aspects of human life, and understanding citizens’ views from a policy perspective is crucial for policymakers to develop future financial programs. In Italy, local agencies for water management (LAWMs), historically linked to irrigation and land reclamation, have expanded their role to address environmental challenges. Their modern functions encompass multifunctional strategies aimed at guaranteeing environmental benefits such as groundwater recharge, prevention of hydrogeological disasters, restoration of biodiversity, and natural water purification. This research conducts a discrete choice experiment to analyze citizens’ awareness and willingness to pay regarding the link between LAWMs’ actions and climate change environmental benefits. The findings indicate that respondents are willing to pay a larger amount to support the prevention of hydrological disasters and the restoration of biodiversity. Additionally, over 87% of our sample chose to pay specific amounts rather than maintain the status quo. This percentage varies depending on three factors: recognizing humans as the primary cause of climate change, embracing new policies, and age. However, there is a gap between the willingness to pay for the benefits studied and the importance respondents place on the LAWMs’ actions required to achieve them. Environmental education and participatory solutions to involve citizens in climate change strategies will promote stronger awareness of sustainable policies, an essential factor to improve governance performance.