Studying at York
Natural Resource Economics - ENV00044H
Module summary
This module will advance the student's knowledge of how to use and apply a variety of environmental valuation and policy evaluation techniques to real-world problems surrounding natural resource economics.
Related modules
Pre-requisite modules:
Economic Principles (Yr 1)
Economics of Sustainable Development (Yr 1)
Applied Ecological Economics (Yr 2)
Enhancing Biodiversity (Yr 2)
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2024-25 |
Module aims
This module aims to equip students with the knowledge and ability to use environmental valuation and policy evaluation techniques for understanding and addressing pressing natural resource and sustainability challenges. This module will use a common global challenge, such as natural resource depletion and climate change, to act as a theme across the module to structure a balance across theory, applications, and examples. A solutions-based approach will be taken, and the assessment will be based upon a real-world style assessment whereby the students will produce a Consultancy Style data analysis report regarding a global environmental, resource, or sustainability challenge.
Module learning outcomes
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To demonstrate an understanding of natural resource economics
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To be able to apply environmental economic and econometric concepts to address global environmental, natural resource, and sustainability challenges.
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To demonstrate an increased understanding of the conceptual frameworks for environmental valuation and how to use non-market valuation methods.
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To demonstrate an increased understanding of the conceptual frameworks for causal inference and how to use policy evaluation methods.
Module content
In this module, students will learn the fundamentals of environmental valuation methods (contingent valuation, choice experiments, travel costs) as well as those for policy evaluation (regression discontinuity design, difference-in-differences, and synthetic control methods). This will be achieved using pressing natural resource topics as central themes connecting the various tools studied.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Four week turn-around time on write-up. Feedback is via a written feedback sheet showing comments by markers.
Indicative reading
Harris, J.M., & Roach, B. (2018). Environmental and Natural Resource Economics: A contemporary approach, 4th edition, Routledge.
Perman R., Ma, Y., McGilvray, J., & Common, M. (2011). Natural Resource and Environmental Economics. 4th edition. Pearson.
Wooldridge, J. M. (2012). Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach, 5th Edition, South-Western Cengage Learning.
Champ, P. A., Boyle, K. J., & Brown, T. C. (2017). A Primer on Nonmarket Valuation. 2nd Edition, Springer.
OECD (2018). Cost-Benefit Analysis and the Environment: Further Developments and Policy Use, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Khandker, S. R., Koolwal, G. B., & Samad, H. A. (2009). Handbook on Impact Evaluation: Quantitative Methods and Practices. World Bank Publications.
McClelland, R., & Gault, S. (2017). The Synthetic Control Method as a Tool to Understand State Policy. The Urban Institute, Washington D.C.