Measuring Heterogeneous Preferences for Adaptation Strategies in Response to Sea Level Rise: Evidence from Miami-Dade County

Abstract

Despite mounting threats from rising sea levels, adaptation to sea level rise (SLR) is often challenged by limited funding and understanding of residents’ preferences. Using an online choice experiment, we investigate residents’ preference for three SLR adaptation strategies: building seawalls, replenishing the beach, and installing stormwater pumps in Miami-Dade County. We control the preference, scale, and alternative heterogeneity using generalized multinomial logit models with error components. Results show that residents prefer additional adaptation strategies to the status quo, and valuations of adaptation attributes are correlated with residents’ sociodemographics. Accounting for alternative heterogeneity also significantly improves model performance.