Spatial Distribution of Cultural Ecosystem Services and Estimating Follower Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Conservation and Restoration of Monastery Forest Patches in Northern Wollo Ethiopia

Due to urbanization, agriculturalland expansion, and other human influences, Ethiopia's dense forest cover hasdeclined to less than 3%. The degraded areasyet marked by scattered green dots, which are residual forest patches of The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Monasteries and Churches (EOTC). The surviving forest areas serveas a refuge for animals and important plant species. The EOTC's management does notallocateenough funding to protect the scattered Church and Monasteryforests, which are critical for the provision of ecosystem services. Using the contingent valuation method, this study attempted to estimate the EOTC follower’s willingness to pay for the protection and restoration of these relict monastic and church forest patches. In addition, the study evaluated and examined characteristics related to negative willingness and adherence to geographical distribution. During the annual ceremonies, 310 respondents were randomly selected for the study. As a result, the greater bid contributed by people was identified as ETB 500 whereas the lower bid wasETB 5(1birr = 0.022 USD) in September 2021. Income, age, education, and family size were all shown to be significantly (p 0.05) correlated with willingness to pay in the model. Different techniques, including community-based restorations, must be put into practice to protect church forests in order to safeguard the sacred forests and restore lost biodiversity.