Environmental Economics

Total Economic Value of pastoralism

Changing policy makers’ perceptions of pastoralism is a challenging and long-term process. An important starting point is to improve their understanding of its dynamics and economic rationale, particularly the direct and indirect economic contributions it makes to national and regional economies.

The interface between forests, agriculture and climate change: understanding the implications for REDD

This work seeks to increase understanding of the interaction between forestry, agriculture and climate change and to map out the implications for strategies and approaches to REDD.

The Green Economy Report - Forestry Chapter

IIED are managing the process associated with the production of background technical papers and a chapter on forestry for the Green Economy Report, compiled by the United Nations Environment Progra

Road to recovery: mapping a sustainable economy

THE WORLD has a unique but brief opportunity to tackle several major challenges together. Evidence of the linked causes of financial, energy and climate crises – and not just their symptoms – is on the table.

The impact of climate change on tourism in the Caribbean

Tobago, in the Caribbean relies heavily on tourism as its main form of income. The effects of climate change will cause changes in the ecosystems and natural resources needed to sustain the tourism economy. This project looks at what those changes may be, and how policymakers can plan to minimise the risks.

Sustainable tourism in the Srepok Wilderness, Cambodia

Local people and endangered animals such as elephants, tigers and wild water buffalo should benefit from a unique wildlife ecotourism initiative in Southeast Asia led by IIED and WWF in Cambodia. This project in the dry forests of Northeast Cambodia aims to conserve species through the involvement of poor rural communities.

Biodiversity offsets - challenges and opportunities

In the face of rapid biodiversity loss worldwide, highlighted in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, new approaches to promote conservation are urgently needed. The challenge is to find new sources of finance for biodiversity conservation and to develop strategies that conserve endangered species and habitats while enhancing livelihoods for those people living closest to biodiversity.

Harnessing carbon finance to arrest deforestation: Saving the Javan rhinoceros

The project aims to support local institutions to establish a properly functioning and equitable forest carbon facility to compensate local villagers for arresting degradation and deforestation in and around Cat Tien National Park in order to conserve large mammals particularly the critically endangered Javan rhinoceros.

AdMit Q & A

Highlights the key elements about this ethical and effective new way to compensate your carbon emissions and support adaptation, now in its pilot phase.

Collaborative management of forests and wildlife in Vietnam

This project aims to conserve threatened biodiversity in the Bi Doup Nui Ba National Park in Vietnam through the introduction of collaborative forest and wildlife stewardship models based on negotiated tenure and access rights.

Markets and payments for environmental services

Market-based approaches to promote conservation. These Payments for Environmental Services (PES) schemes are where land managers, typically forest owners or farmers, are paid to manage their land in ways that protect or enhance environmental services such as carbon sequestration, watershed protection and biodiversity conservation. 

Community-based forest carbon project in Mozambique

This project looks at designing a framework for carbon payments for afforestation/reforestation in small-scale forest plantations in Mozambique

Economics of climate change adaptation in least developed countries

This project aims to build capacity in the least developed countries (LDCs) in the economic analysis of climate change to inform policymaking.  Robust analyses of the impacts of climate change impacts and the costs and benefits of climate change adaptation at local and national levels will be undertaken to feed into local and national policy-making and negotiating positions.

Community Development Carbon Finance Toolkit

The Environmental Economics Programme together SouthSouthNorth prepared a carbon finance toolkit for the Community Development Carbon Fund of the World Bank. This is aimed at multiple audiences including Task Team Leaders, Local Government and local communities to help them better understand carbon finance and the potential for incorporating carbon finance into community development projects.

The cost of avoiding deforestation

Reviews the costs of avoiding deforestation to reduce CO2 emissions.

Natural resource accounting in Namibia

James MacGregor was invited by the Namibia's Ministry of Environment and Tourism to train three of its economists to manage future projects on the valuation of forest resources in Namibia, which will feed into the NRA accounting matrices. James developed and guided the project 'The Stock and Flow of Woody Land Resources in North-Central Namibia', in conjunction with the cadre of Namibian economists in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism's Environmental Economics Unit.

Estimating the economic cost of climate change in developing countries

With partners in Namibia and Tanzania we are estimating the economic cost of climate change. The objectives are to:

  • put an economic value on the expected costs and benefits from climate change over the next 25 years
  • influence national policy on climate change
  • raise the level of interest / concern over climate change by developing some economic indicators of the costs of change.

 

Project finance, sustainable development and human rights

This research analyses a particular way in which financial markets and global investment policies influence the major issues of sustainable development, poverty reduction and human rights.

 

Investment promotion agencies and responsible business

In this project we identified practical opportunities for investment promotion agencies to promote responsible inward investment that can help host countries to achieve sustainable development.