Applied Environmental Economics A GIS Approach to Cost-Benefit Analysis

The complex real-world interactions between the economy and the environment form both the focus of and main barrier to applied research within the field of environmental economics. However, geographical information systems (GIS) allow economists to tackle such complexity head on by directly incorporating diverse datasets into applied research rather than resorting to simplifying and often unrealistic assumptions. This innovative book applies GIS techniques to spatial cost-benefit analysis of a complex and topical land use change problem - the conversion of agricultural land to multipurpose woodland - looking in detail at issues such as opportunity costs, timber yield, recreation, carbon storage, etc., and embracing cost-cutting themes such as the evaluation of environmental preferences and the spatial transfer of benefit functions.

Foreword David W. Pearce; 1. Introduction; 2. Recreation: valuation methods; 3. Recreation: predicting values; 4. Recreation: predicting visits; 5. Timber valuation; 6. Modelling and mapping timber yield and its value; 7. Modelling and valuing carbon sequestration in trees, timber products and forest soils; 8. Modelling opportunity cost: agricultural output values; 9. Cost benefit analysis using GIS; 10. Conclusions and future directions.

An innovative application of GIS techniques to spatial cost-benefit analysis of a complex land use change problem. The imaginative use of GIS will be of great interest to economists, environmental managers and regional planners.

Ian J. Bateman is Professor of Environmental Economics, University of East Anglia and Senior Research Fellow at CSERGE and CEBARD.
Andrew A. Lovett is Senior Lecturer at the School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia.
Julii S. Brainard is Senior Researcher at the Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE), University of East Anglia.