Natural Resource Economics: An Introduction

The relationship between humans and the natural world plays a major role in contemporary society. Whether one believes that current natural resource policies threaten our welfare or that the scarcities facing us can be overcome with sufficient effort and ingenuity, it is clear that decisions on resource use will affect the future of people around the globe. Those decisions are best framed and analyzed within the context of natural resource economics. In this successful, well-received volume, Field focuses on resource valuation, economic incentives, and the institutional arrangements that result in desired utilization and conservation decisions. He begins with basic economic principles, laying a foundation for discussion of general natural resource use and then moving on to particular natural resources. The book closes looking at natural resource issues in developing countries. Each chapter ends with a summary, key words, probing questions, and brief lists of Web! sites and additional sources.