Natural resources

The tools of environmental economics are not as well-known in Asia as they should be. This volume seeks to fill this gap by building understanding in this important area and showing policy-makers how these tools can contribute to resolving important questions in South Asian development. The book begins with an overview paper explaining what economists think about the environment and introduces the tools of valuation, cost-benefit analysis and environmental accounting. The three case studies that follow apply these tools to specific problems in the region.

The Congo Basin encompasses an enormous region of Central Africa. Up to the present day, the area has a more or less continuous forest cover and is rich in biodiversity. The lowland forest of the Congo Basin for instance, is the most species-rich forest in Africa. In particular species groups of the region, endemism is high.

The papers published in this volume were presented at a workshop organised by the IUCN Sustainable Use Initiative (SUI) during the first World Conservation Congress in late 1996. The first section includes several thought provoking papers on broad issues pertaining to sustainable use. Three subsequent sections include papers from workshop sessions organised by Regional Specialist Groups on artisanal fisheries, community-based management of forests and managing wildlife for sustainable use. Abstracts of each paper are provided in English, French and Spanish