Natural Resource and Environmental Economics Research Papers (original) (raw)

As outlined in this chapter, agricultural development has a major ecological and environmental footprint. Nevertheless, agricultural development (together with other biologically based food-supplying industries) is needed to provide enough food for the world's growing level of human population. This chapter begins by discussing the general impacts of agriculture on the environment and the use of natural resources, then considers market failures as influences on the occurrence of agriculture's environmental impacts and its use of natural resources before examining economic factors that affect agricultural sustainability. Subsequently, the implications of agricultural policies for the state of the environment and for the availability of natural resources are outlined.

- by Clement Tisdell
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- Economics, Environmental Economics, Open Access, Agricultural Policy

Gliricidia sepium is considered one of the commonly used multipurpose legume shade trees in Ghana. Different pruning regimes affect the nutrient content as the amount of biomass produced by many multipurpose trees. In this study, the aboveground biomass (both fresh and dry matter) production and nitrogen content in Gliricidia sepium under different pruning regimes (4, 8 and 12 weeks) was studied. The study was carried out in the demonstration farm of Department of Agroforestry in the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources-KNUST. A total of nine (9) Gliricidia trees were selected. The pruning frequencies were assigned to the selected trees, after an initial pruning of 1.2m from the ground. The data collected include; new fresh weight, dry weight and nitrogen content at the various pruning time. Also, the amount of nitrogen (N) in the new biomass was estimated at each pruning time. The result shows that the aboveground biomass production increased from 4 weeks to 12 weeks regime. Overall nitrogen concentration increased from 2.61% to 3.58% upon reducing the pruning frequency from 4 to 12 weeks, and total nitrogen content was much higher in 12 weeks (36.01g) than in the other pruning frequencies, due to biomass production been larger. In conclusion, the study highlights the potential of Gliricidia biomass as a source of N and green manure for both agricultural and agroforestry purposes. Hence pruning regime of Gliricidia should be considered in managing it for nutrient and manure purposes.

Abstract In this paper we decompose and analyze the drivers of the oil price and provide a detailed explanation of the reasons behind the price increase that took place during last decade. We address the problem of endogene' ity... more

- by R. Rigobón
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- Mechanical Engineering, Energy Economics, Resource Economics, Oil and gas
- by Isaac Sarfo
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- Business, Environmental Science, Ecosystem Services, Conservation

This chapter reports on empirical work (Perrings and Stern 2000; Stern 1994) that uses the Kalman filter to estimate stochastic trends in the context of resource use models. This modelling approach treats changes in the environment and changes in the production possibilities of the economy as similar processes, which in both cases can be seen as changes in either capital stocks or changes in technology.

Nigeria liberalized input distribution and established the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) in 2011 to deliver subsidized inputs to farmers as part of its Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA). Despite the relevance of the GESS as a subsidy delivery mechanism, its achievements during the first year of implementation (2012) were below expectations. In 2015, as the first phase of the GESS is ending, has there been any significant improvement in its implementation? What improvements have occurred in redemption and participation rates? Even though the GESS is known to be making contributions in terms of ensuring direct access by farmers to subsidized inputs, the main determinants of farmers’ participation remain unknown. This study seeks to (i) examine the application of ICT innovations in the implementation of the GESS; (ii) assess its implementation performance from inception to date; and (iii) determine the factors influencing farmers’ participation in the scheme. The stud...

A partir de la segunda mitad del siglo XX resurgió en todo el continente latinoamericano un paradigma 'extractivista' de la mano de la idea del 'Estado desarrollista'. El proceso de descolonización del mundo y el reconocimiento del principio de soberanía permanente sobre los recursos naturales fueron elementos esenciales en los proyectos de los Estados desarrollistas que se implementaron en el continente latinoamericano y que de la mano de Instituciones como la CEPAL, la política de Industrialización por Sustitución de Importaciones -ISI y la teoría de la dependencia marcarían el 'camino hacia el desarrollo' de los países latinoamericanos antes de que se produjera el giro neoliberal en el mundo.

Should landholders be allowed to make commercial gain or profit from animal pests? This is an issue not only with wild pigs but also with other pests, and there are different opinions about the effect of commercial use of a pest. Two broadly opposed views exist:
(a) Commercial use of a pest results in its conservation (or reduced control) by landholders, because they can profit from the pest population.
(b) The possibility of commercial gain results in greater harvesting or hunting pressure on a species, thus reducing its population.
Either effect is possible, depending upon the identifiable circumstances. Under some circumstances, commercial use leads to greater conservation of a pest, but under other circumstances – circumstances that seem to be more likely in the case of pigs – commercial use results in increased control of a pest population. Commercialization is an important strategy to consider in managing a pest.
Landholders have two main ways in which they can make commercial gain from wild pigs:
(a) Landholders may obtain income from fees charged to amateur pighunters for hunting, camping, accommodation, etc.
(b) By selling the rights to hunt pigs to commercial hunters, or by hunting pigs themselves and selling their harvest to meat producers, landholders can gain if wild pigs are used in the meat trade.
This chapter concentrates on the first possibility – an income from amateur pighunters' fees – and the next chapter deals with the second possibility.

- by Clement Tisdell
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- Pest Management, Agricultural Economics, National Parks, Wildlife Conservation

Frankfurt, Friday 22nd January 2016

- by Chris Armstrong
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- International Relations, Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Ethics

Mining activity has been a significant driver of export growth as well as income and employment in parts of regional Australia. However, while income growth is an economic benefit, the high incomes associated with the mining sector may also lead to greater inequality. This paper describes an empirical analysis of mining activity and income inequality in regional Australia. The Gini coefficient (a measure of inequality) for personal income is found to be significantly associated with levels of mining employment. However, this relationship is not linear. Rather, income inequality initially increases with mining activity, before decreasing at medium to high levels of mining employment, following a Kuznets curve pattern. Segregating data for men and women reveals very different patterns. Among men, inequality initially increases as mining employment in a region increases, but then sharply decreases; at high levels of mining activity, income inequality among men is lower than is typically observed in non-mining areas. Among women, income inequality increases with mining activity throughout its range. This suggests that income inequality is most likely to be a problem in locales with intermediate levels of mining activity and that it affects men and women quite differently.

- by Andrew Reeson and +1
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- Income Distribution, Natural Resource and Environmental Economics

HIGHLIGHTS • Database attractiveness is independent of data quality. • Global forest products databases have different levels of quality. • Since many data users are not data professionals or statisticians, the quality of a database is not the decisive factor. • A combination of technical, political and developmental factors can explain the increasing discrepancy between the African export and Chinese import forest products trade data. • Global forest statistics providers may be motivated to put more effort into improving database attractiveness and related incentives rather than quality. SUMMARY What drives discrepancies and inconsistencies in global forest statistics? The use of global statistics has influenced academic research and sectoral policies of forest ecosystems since the first global forest assessment was conducted in 1948 or even earlier. Very little work has been done to provide a comprehensive analysis of the governance structure and the quality of predominant international forest databases. Furthermore , very little is known about the attractiveness and/or repulsiveness of global forest statistics platforms to scholars, policy-makers and other users. To reduce knowledge gap, this article examines the governance structure and strategies of three major databases which provide data on global forest products trade including timber export/import flows data, namely FAOSTAT, the United Nations Comtrade, and Chatham House's Resource Trade Earth. This paper uses conceptual and theoretical frameworks of data governance and nudge theories are used to study the production, quality, attractiveness and repulsiveness of global forest statistics and the related platforms through research on a qualitative and quantitative methodological approach. The main findings show that among the above three data platforms, only Comtrade received first-hand data directly from UN producing member states' offices, while the other organisations depend on Comtrade, transform secondhand data. More importantly, the article reveals that the levels of quality and attractiveness of the forest databases in our study are unequal and that database attractiveness is not based on quality. As a result, global forest statistics providers may be motivated to put more effort into improving database attractiveness rather than quality, which is more challenging. Consequently, it is likely that the governance structure and strategies reported in these databases can substantially affect the reliability of numbers used in academic research and policy-decisions since they are generated from the related global forest statistics. Gouvernance des statistiques forestières globales: étude de cas du commerce des produits forestiers entre Afrique Sub-Saharienne et Chine Y. ZHAO, Y.M. KROTT et S. ONGOLO Quelles sont les causes des écarts et incohérences observées dans les données statistiques globales sur les forêts? l'utilisation des données statistiques globales exerce une influence sur les travaux de recherche académique et les politiques publiques sectorielles relatives aux écosys-tèmes forestiers, au moins depuis le premier rapport de l'état globale des forêts publié en 1948. Très peu d'études ont été conduites pour fournir une analyse approfondie sur le système de gouvernance et la qualité des bases de données majeures de production des statistiques globales forestières. De même, il existe assez peu de connaissance sur l'attractivité et/ou répulsivité des plateformes globales des données statistiques forestières pour les chercheurs, décideurs politiques et autres usagers de ces données dans la société. Afin de réduire ce manque de connaissance, cet article examine le système de gouvernance et les stratégies de trois bases de données majeures qui fournissent des données quantitatives sur le commerce global des produits forestiers y compris les flux d'exportation/importation des grumes de bois: il s'agit de FAOSTAT, la base de données Comtrade des Nations Unies et Resource Trade Earth de l'organisation Chatham House. Le cadre conceptuel et théorique de cet article mobilise la théorie de la gouvernance des données et la théorie du 'coup de pouce' afin de questionner les processus de production, la qualité, l'attractivité et/ou la répulsivité des données statistiques globales sur les produits forestiers et des plateformes qui y sont associées. L'approche

- by Symphorien Ongolo
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- African Studies, Development Studies, Forestry, Sociology of Knowledge

This study examined the impact of climate change on commercial beef production in Botswana using time series data from 1980-2016. We estimated a Ricardian model to quantify the impact of climate change on commercial beef production in a period of 36 years. The climate change variables used were temperature, rainfall and drought (dummy) and the non-climate change factors used in the model were beef producer prices and the outbreaks of diseases (Foot and Mouth Disease). We found that increasing temperature and rainfall have a significant effect on commercial beef production in Botswana. Drought also had a positive and significant impact on beef production which was unexpected. Beef producer prices were positive and significant and the outbreaks of diseases (Foot and Mouth Disease) were insignificant which was unexpected. , the error correction term coefficient of the average growth rate of beef production (LBP) has a corrective negative sign and is significant. We tested the models for unit root, cointegration and because there was cointegration analysis went further to estimate a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). The results of the VECM showed that a significant error term implies a disequilibrium adjustment of each variable towards its long run equilibrium value. A significant error term provides validation of the existence of a long run relationship between the variables and speed of adjustment is 0.5 percent. The results all point at the need for raising farmer’s awareness of long term climate change and using the appropriate adaptation options to counter the likely adverse impact on commercial beef production.

Una cantidad significativa de literatura reciente ha demostrado el enorme potencial de los impuestos sobre los combustibles (IC) para disminuir las emisiones de gases invernadero y la contaminación del aire; sin embargo, su aparente regresividad provoca que sea considerado como un instrumento de política pública poco atractivo. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo examinar el estado del arte de su incidencia en las economías en vías de desarrollo, encontrando que en países con ingresos bajos los IC tienen tendencia a ser progresivos; lo contrario ocurre en naciones con altos ingresos.

- by Jafet Alejandro Baca Obando and +2
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- Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, Ambient Air Pollution, Fuel Tax, Regresividad

Il presente studio, sebbene sia circoscritto spazialmente al comprensorio della Val di Chiana, intende rappresentare un caso di studio nel complesso rapporto che intercorre tra uomo e natura, mettendo in luce alcune caratteristiche e ciò che significava, in età preindustriale, cercare di modificare un ambiente e un paesaggio per soddisfare le necessità della società. I due fattori, uomo e natura, si intrecciano nello spazio d’azione rappresentato dall’ambiente, base del processo storico qui studiato e se vogliamo quadro di riferimento in cui si svolgono le vicende umane nel corso della storia.

- by Bikash Sharma and +1
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- Development Economics, Human Development, Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, Poverty and Inequality

In the U.S., natural gas pipeline transport has undergone a wave of deregulatory actions over the past several decades. The underlying motive has been the presumption that removing regulatory frictions would facilitate spot price arbitrage, helping to integrate prices across geographic locations and improve efficiency. Yet certain frictions, specifically the effect of congestion on transportation costs, inhibit positive deregulatory impacts on efficiency. With the increase in domestic production and consumption of natural gas over the coming decades, upward pressure on the demand for transport will likely result in an increased occurrence of persistently congested pipeline routes. In this paper we explore the relationship between congestion and spot prices using a simple network model, paying particular attention to the influence of storage. We find that as congestion between two hubs increases, the scarcity value of transmission capacity rises, driving a wedge between spot prices. We empirically quantify this effect over a specific pipeline route in the Rocky Mountain region that closely resembles our structural design. Although our results paint a stark picture of the impact that congestion can have on efficiency, we also find evidence that the availability of storage mitigates the price effects of congestion through the intertemporal substitution of transmission services.

- by Charles Mason
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- Energy Economics, Natural Resources, Regulation And Governance, Regulation

Abstract
Concerns for biodiversity conservation have heightened since Rio de Janeiro 1992 meeting of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and the subsequent Convention on Biodiversity. However, the rate of investment in agroforestry systems for agrobiodiversity conservation has been slower than expected. The Kakum Conservation Area (KCA) in Ghana is a national forest reserve, which forms part of the severely fragmented Guinean Forest of West Africa. It is a habitat for endangered larger mammals such as forest elephants, leopards, giant forest hogs, diversity of insect and birds. Nevertheless, the livelihoods of about 240,000 people depend on this forest. The people engage in economic activities such as cocoa farming which have impact on the KCA management. Conservation International with funding from World Bank developed a conservation cocoa agroforestry technology to enhance agrobiodiversity conservation by cocoa producers in the buffer zones of the KCA. This book explains how the socioeconomic characteristics of cocoa producers, market incentives, biophysical and other factors influence the extent of producer investment in the technology.

The objective of this study is to assess the impacts of forest trade policies, especially trade liberalisation, on forest governance. This was based on a literature review and three country case studies – Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico. The emphasis is on national (public, private and community sector) forest governance in developing and transition economy countries, since this is where governance problems like illegal logging and corruption are most problematic.

Resource abundance as a curse or blessing has been an overarching topic of research for both academics and policy makers. This paper aims to study the economical, political and social dimension of resource abundance. The extensive literature regarding economical dimension of resource abundance indicates the decline of decline of the manufacturing or agriculture sector. Literature exploring political dimensions overwhelmingly reports the deterioration of political institutions in the form of rent seeking and corruption in face of resource abundance. The literature regarding social dimensions is also compatible with the findings stated for economic and political dimensions. However, a good deal of studies also reveal that the relationship between resource abundance and all three dimensions of nation life is not straight forward and depends on several factors among which institutional quality and the level of economic growth are of utmost importance. Due to favourable economical, political and social factors resource abundance can become a blessing rather than a curse.

Over the past several years, environmental economists have been increasingly attracted to the use of information as an alternative to traditional methods for regulating externalities. An example of this approach is ‘‘eco-labeling,’’ where a third party certifies firms’ products; this approach is particularly popular in practice, having been adopted in a variety of countries. With this widespread adoption of eco-labeling, a literature has developed in environmental economics. In this paper, I survey the equilibria that may occur with eco-labeling, and discuss the resultant welfare effects.

- by Charles Mason
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- Environmental Economics, Environmental policy, Environmental Management, Ecolabel

Real property is of paramount importance to the socioeconomic development of a nation and it is made up of various features which influence its value. It is as a result of this that the study aims at seeking the views of the expert valuers on ascertaining the variables that affect the value of residential properties in Port Harcourt metropolis. After a review of the literature, 23 variables which presented to be directly relevant to the study area were used. Questionnaires were administered to the 119 firms registered with the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) Rivers State branch asking them to in their view as experts rank the variables on their levels of influence using a 5 point Likert scale. The data were analyzed using tables, frequencies, percentages and relative importance index to ascertain the most influential variables by ranking them. The results of the study revealed that size of the building, number of bedrooms, the presence of good road network, non-flooding area, nearness to healthcare facilities, electricity connection, security and nearness to CBD were the most influential variables to residential property values in Port Harcourt metropolis. The results of the study will assist investors and other stakeholders in the real property sector to know the critical variables that influence the value of their property thereby know the true worth of their investment. This study is the original and first-hand study of the interaction among the various variables that influence property values in Port Harcourt metropolis.

This paper investigates one specific cultural ecosystem service: outdoor recreation. We present a method to map the collective preferences for outdoor recreation and to identify the substitutability among nature sites in the context of the province of Antwerp, Belgium. We propose an indicator of substitutability among nature areas, contrasting unique but poorly substitutable sites (hot spots) with highly substi-tutable sites (cold spots). Using a combination of survey information, public participation GIS (PPGIS) and kernel density mapping, we produce density surfaces representing the distribution of the collective preferences for outdoor recreation and identify the spatial characteristics of the market (e.g. extent, discontinuities) for outdoor recreation. We also compute Getis-Ord G i * spatial statistics to identify local outdoor recreation clusters. In addition, we explore how recreational behaviour affects substitutability. Our results suggest a duality between the social value of outdoor recreation and the level of substitutabil-ity among nature sites. Highly substitutable sites tend to be found near areas of higher population density, which are as well highly visited sites. The type of recreational activity – hiking, cycling, dog walking or jogging – appears to substantially modify substitutability patterns among nature sites. We conclude by discussing the methodological implications of this research in the context of stated preference ecosystem service valuation and stress several policy-related implications.

That talk is never disinterested complicates the relationship between the environment and the claims people make about it. Talk about place, and one's self in it, is particularly complex when the environment poses risk or is otherwise problematized. This study, a secondary analysis of interview data, seeks to extend discursive work on place-identity by examining the ways in which 14 residents of a small English village talk about themselves and their locale. The locale accommodates an active quarry, and many residents had lodged complaints to the quarry about dust, noise and vibrations from blasting. Attention to the interactional context of the interviews illustrates the ways in which (simply) interviewing people about their locale can threaten self- and place-identity. When asked about life in the village, interviewees oriented to two main dilemmas in protecting self- and place-identity: (1) how to justify continued residence in a challenging environment and (2) how to complain about the locale whilst maintaining positive place-identity. Discursive responses to these dilemmas drew upon typical identity processes, such as self- and place distinctiveness and the formulation of out-groups, as well as upon constructions of localized power-sharing and morally obligated tolerance of risk. We suggest that research on problematical places, and of environmental risk, needs to be sensitized to how it may constitute a threat to self- and place-identity, and how this may mediate formulations self and place, as well as of environmental risk.

- by Anna Madill
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- Real Estate, Business Ethics, Environmental Engineering, Discourse Analysis

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The study reexamines the validity of EKC hypothesis in Malaysia, with the interaction effects of deforestation and urbanisation. The uses of methane and nitro-oxide emissions, as against carbon oxide emissions used in similar studies, also lend credence to the efficiency of the estimates. It employs robust LS, quantile regression and ARDL techniques on secondary data obtained from World Bank and International Energy Agency-from 1981 to 2014. The findings reveal that urbanisation positively and negatively influences the environment; deforestation positively influences it; while the interaction variable enhances the positive effects of each of urbanisation and deforestation on the environment. The study, therefore, recommends, amongst others, increasing incentives for sustainable growth-driven industries-in the forms of tax-cut and lower interest rates to critical sectors, and protection of local ones. The discouragement of forest loss through increased tax, and other penalties, for violators would largely reduce environmental degradation in Malaysia.

- by Waliu O Shittu and +1
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- Natural Resource and Environmental Economics

The paper offers a political economy analysis of the structural, technical and socio-political (STP) factors associated with industrial policy implementation in a resource-based economy. Trinidad and Tobago, a less well-known case in the steel sector, illustrates in contrast to mainstream assumptions, that formal market-supporting institutions, such as property rights and the rule of law do not explain its industrial performance. It suggests the interplay of interrelated forces at the domestic and international levels, namely relevant technologies, natural gas supplies, and an international commodity boom coupled with collective organizational skills and mobilizations of social actors that propelled state-led industrialization. Employing historical data, the paper explains the rise and decline of steel manufacturing from the period of state-led industrialization underpinned by a specific STP configuration that generated increasingly complex skills, products and new employment. The fall of global demand and protectionism in the United States prompted its privatization and undermined indigenous capability. JEL codes: O380, Q430, L520, F630, N560, B520, F50

An EU R&I agenda on nature-based solutions is an essential component to greening the economy
and achieving sustainable development. To contribute to the development of this R&I agenda, the
Expert Group on 'Nature-Based Solutions and Re-Naturing Cities' was commissioned. Since the
nature-based solutions concept is relatively new, the Expert Group developed an appropriate
definition, before considering the opportunities for nature-based solutions.

- by Claudio Cecchi and +2
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- Environmental Economics, Environmental Sustainability, Natural Resource and Environmental Economics

Wetland ecosystems conservation is a critical environmental policy and practice challenge. Though policy protection mechanisms ostensibly establish a commitment to long-term protection, the level and types of wetland threats are growing. Management of sustainable wetland resources requires community commitments to protection amongst predominantly rural stakeholders that draw upon wetland ecosystem services for their livelihoods and is vital to forming a policy strategy. This empirical study uses contingent valuation methodology with rural residents around four key wetlands areas in the ecologically fragile Khuzestan province in Iran. We find that 65% of the residents are willing to pay an amount of personal income to protect wetland ecosystems. The estimated Logit model with 84% prediction accuracy showed the variables of education and job relationship with the wetland had a positive effect on the probability of price acceptance, and the variables of living costs and marital status had a negative effect on the probability of price acceptance. In total, the conservation value of wetlands is estimated at 103,351.52 USD. Finally, we assess the policy-relevance of our findings towards community windfall payments, tax disbursements, community resource management schemes, public participation, and social outreach programs to improve social learning buy-in to long-term conservation practices.

- by Omid M . Ghoochani and +1
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- Wetlands, Iranian Studies, Smallholder Farmers & Poverty Alleviation, Environmental Valuation (Economics)

Defenders of “free-market" environmentalism have often appealed to the writings of F.A. Hayek to support their favored approaches to environmental political economy. Yet Hayek’s power to vindicate such perspectives is controversial. In fact, some writers have found in Hayek’s writings an invitation to extensive political interventions in the environmental arena. In this paper, I develop three environmentally relevant themes in Hayek’s writings in order to clarify his true legacy for environmental political economy. I argue that Hayek’s most important contributions to environmental debates can be found in his guidance for making public policies compatible with the functionality of the market order.

Integrated watershed management (IWM) is one of the best strategies to halt soil degradation, thereby improving agricultural productivity. In the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region of Ethiopia, it has been implemented since 2011 by mobilizing communities for collective action to construct thousands of soil and water conservation structures, planting biological stabilizers, enclosing communal land and maintaining the structures. Apart from this massive public initiative, the South Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) implemented a pilot project in two micro watersheds namely, Qotto-Asano and Ojoie. To attain the objectives of the project, SARI implemented technology introduction and evaluation, technology pre-scale-up and training simultaneously. Lessons from the public and technology innovation parts of IWM revealed that watershed residents actively participated in problem identification, planning, technology choice, designing, bylaw formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Lastly, in implementing IWM, there are immense social, economic, institutional and environmental challenges that need the attention of policy-makers and development practitioners. The long-term nature of IWM benefits, negative impacts of the past incentives, absence of linking community bylaws to formal laws, financial limitations, lack of benefit-sharing modalities, failure to consider land use, soil type and slope in designing land management interventions are some of the important challenges that need policy considerations and remedial actions for sustainable management and use of natural resources in Southern Regional State.
Key words: Integrated watershed management, Southern region, technology introduction

Sustainable development is a grand ideal around which vast literature continue to grow. Defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987:43), the quest for sustainable development is espoused by a multitude of international and local organizations, governments, think tanks and academics. Popularized by “Our Common Future, 1987”, “Agenda 21, 1992” and more recently, “The Future We Want, 2012”, it is by far, one of the world’s most important goals towards which collective regional and national actions are sought (Kosloff and Trexler, 2003). In response to global environmental issues, two important but contradictory exhortations — “think globally, act locally” and “think locally, act globally” — have gained world-wide prominence (Devine-Wright, 2013).
While these catchphrases are open to myriad interpretations (Tisdell, 1996: and Wiener, 2007), the former resonates a broad understanding of the world’s paradigmatically contemporary problems including climate change, loss of biodiversity and ocean pollution and taking actions to address such issues through local engagements. In contrast to this approach is a comprehensive international regime — “think locally, act globally” — which posits that global environmental challenges have little respect to jurisdictional boundaries. Consequently, the need to marshal the necessary information and expertise to craft and harmonize their responses should be a global prerogative.
In the discussions that follow, the paper evaluates and contrasts the two approaches —“think globally, act locally” and “think locally, act globally” — within the context of sustainable development. The inherent challenges of these schools of thought have also been identified and recommendations for improving global environmental conditions highlighted.

- by Osman Balikisu and +1
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- Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, Environmental Resources Valuation

When soil particles are transported from one location in the landscape to another, this physical movement is termed as soil erosion. It has numerous direct and indirect impacts on the geography, economy, and society where it occurs. While the harmful consequences of soil erosion as well as its degradation are recognized widely and there has been a radical increase in the number of soil conservation and restoration programmes and projects, adoption rates and efficiency in the implementation of improved land-management practices have been unsatisfactory. In this context, this paper studies the soil erosion problem in the Indian context. Almost 130 million hectares of land, i.e. 45% of the total land area of India is affected by soil erosion in a serious form1. And this figure is rising even though many programmes, schemes and land-management practices have been implemented over the years since Independence. Presently this has become a major area of concern for the Indian government. This is due to the fact that it affects farming, cultivation, soil quality, crops and agriculture as a whole and almost 58% of our total workforce still depends on agriculture (Bhalla & Singh, 2009). Thus, economic evaluation of soil erosion can give a quantifiable rationale and justifiable cause so as to speed up our efforts towards conservation and judicious use of soil. This paper explores the reasons why the programmes, already implemented, have not been fully able to tackle the problem and suggests some policy changes.

this paper highlights some of the ways through which the public can be engaged while conducting environmental impact assessment of a given project. it also justifies some of the method in conducting an impact study. State advantages and... more

Tiger grass (Thysanolaena maxima) grows in abundance in the mountainous regions of the three adjoining municipalities in Tablasisland in the province of Romblon. The grass has been identified by Indian researchers as a perennial, high value, non-perishable cash crop for wide range of agro-climatic conditions. It is a multipurpose species which provides brooms, fuel, feedstock and has high soil conservation value. Literatures reported that as of 2004, there were about 400 farmers in around 300-hectare tiger grass plantation all over the island. Marigondon Norte in San Andres, Romblon is one of the upland villages known for ‘luway’ production. The industry has been around for decades but its potential remains unexplored. Records revealed that a number of interventions were made for the industry to gain market but they were short-lived. It was not until the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) identified tiger grass as a crop for One Town, One Product (OTOP) program of San Andres that efforts were rekindled to help develop the potential of this industry. To establish a comprehensive baseline data upon which developmental efforts are to be anchored, DTI collaborated with Romblon State University (RSU) in conducting a survey among 100 out of the reported 120 tiger grass farmers in the area. Farmers’ demographic and socio-economic profiles were determined. Farm-related variables such as farm profiles, farm inputs, farm outputs, farming practices and marketing practices were also described. It was found out that if the farming and marketing practices of the farmers were to be improved, the industry can be a promising economic activity in the village. Findings further support the advocacy that tiger grass could be a potential commodity for agri-business in the uplands. RSU and other agencies can utilize the findings of this study as benchmark in initiating R&D program for tiger grass.

The dismantling/removal and disposal of redundant offshore oil and gas infrastructure was until recently, a topic of little or no importance at both national and international levels. However, as of today, the issue of what happens to redundant offshore platforms is a major problem and concern for both the international community and the oil and gas industry. The safety problems redundant offshore installations pose to marine life and other sea users, coupled with the fact that there is no income from the field at the relevant time, have made governments to devise means of ensuring that a mechanism exists to guarantee the removal and disposal of these offshore installations at the end of their productive lifespan.

- by Efe Azaino
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- Environmental Science, Law, Comparative Law, Energy Economics

Wastewater reuse in Africa has been identified as a veritable tool to alleviate freshwater scarcity, improve crop yield and sustain the environment. This study analyzed and modelled wastewater reuse externalities in the context of African agriculture. Data were retrieved from the Food and Agriculture Organization (2015). Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were performed to analyze wastewater variables in line with its irrigation potentials, and determine the relationship between the environmental implications of treated municipal wastewater effluent respectively. Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and Stochastic frontier cost functions were modelled for specifying and quantifying the economic/environmental trade-offs of wastewater reuse and costs of wastewater treatment. The descriptive results indicated that Northern Africa, which is the most vulnerable region, has the greatest potentials of wastewater reuse. The average regional quantities of treated municipal wastewater use in Africa were proportional to the rate of collected and produced municipal wastewater. The quantity of treatment plants had negative correlation with its treatment capacity between these regions (Northern and Southern Africa), as the former that had the least number of treatment facilities compared to the latter, produced the highest effluents (6.422 X 109 m3 per year). According to the correlation analysis results, "area of land salinized" had a highly positive significant correlation with the quantity of treated wastewater used (r=0.69). Proportion of area equipped for irrigation salinized, area waterlogged by irrigation and population of people affected by water-related diseases exhibited a weak negative correlation coefficient (r=-0.093, -0.045 and -0.045 respectively). Water-related diseases were devastating in regions with low or zero usage of treated effluents. In modelling these trade-offs, CBA model accounts for the cost of wastewater reuse like; treatment cost, health cost, cost of soil reclamation and aquifer damage cost. These costs must be calculated against the benefit accrued to wastewater reuse. Such benefits include, increased crop yield and aquifer recharge. A conceptual stochastic frontier model (SFM) was also developed in this research as no previous studies took into account inefficiency parameters (negative externalities) accompanied with wastewater reuse. However, there is both economic and environmental justification no matter the cost of wastewater reuse. Beside the direct benefits of increasing water supply, safeguarding the environment from pollution and health effect of dumping wastewater not only justify the allocated resources, but also supports sustainable development. African regions living above “water poverty line” must, however, not wait till when freshwater will become a limiting resource, because unvalued water may lead to an uncertain future. Investment in safe wastewater collection and treatment can remove a potential brake on economic activity in Africa. It is also important to be weary of the increased use of wastewater overtime and the vagaries of climate change. The significance of salinity in this study calls for the use of appropriate agronomic practices to remediate saline soils. Stochastic frontier model specified in this study is recommended to be applied to empirical data for further studies, considering the valuation of externalities. In conclusion, this study puts wastewater on the policy agenda by emphasizing its impacts in agriculture.

The era of globalization which is marked by the speed of development of information and communication technology, has caused many changes in various fields of life including the business world, so that on the one
hand the development of the business world is accelerating. On the other hand, the speed of development and growth in the business world has
triggered tighter competition between companies. It is not uncommon for a company to end up bankrupt because it is unable to face the intense
competition. This bankruptcy can be caused by limited capital, continuous fluctuation in sales, the company’s inability to adapt to a new and rapidly developing environment, and incorrectly implementing strategies, so that the company cannot compete with other competitors. Many companies have experienced increasing business competition that has triggered sales fluctuations, therefore companies must strengthen
and reinforce their strategies so that they have a competitive advantage and can survive in this competition by taking the attention of consumers.
Responding to conditions that threaten the continuity of the company, managers need to strengthen and reinforce strategies within the scope of the company in order to achieve mutually agreed upon company goals.
This book discusses the application of a marketing theory, namely the theory of segmenting, targeting, and positioning (STP) in a company, to analyze the company’s consumer behavior, then formulate a strategy
to increase sales of the company’s products. The main purpose of the preparation and writing of this book is to guide or guide the application of a the STP theory to formulate the right strategy for the company, in order
to win the competition in the era of globalization and increasingly competitive business competition.

- by Made Antara
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- Development Economics, Agribusiness, Tourism economics, Agricultural Economics

THE EARTH IS DYING, YOU KNOW IT AND YOU ARE DOING NOTHING BUT SITTING THERE.

- by MIKE EMERY
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- Environmental Engineering, History, Marine Biology, Environmental Sociology
- by Darima Darbalaeva
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- Economics, Development Economics, Environmental Economics, Ecosystems Ecology