Biodiversity and Ecological Economics Participatory Approaches to Resource Management

This book is a model of applied ecological economics. The author presents an accessible introduction to the subject while at the same time broadening its theoretical basis by introducing a post-positivist, participatory method. He then applies this theoretical framework to case studies in biodiversity conservation, drawn from around the world and a range of different ecosystems. It makes an ideal textbook for students of ecological economics and an excellent introduction for scientists and environmentalists needing to understand the role of economics in ecology and conservation

It is vital that we adopt interdisciplinary approaches such as ecological economics to gain an understanding of the values that determine human interaction with, and use and abuse of, the environment. This book is a model of applied ecological economics. It presents an accessible introduction to the subject while at the same time broadening its theoretical basis by introducing a post-positivist, participatory method. The theoretical framework is applied to case studies in biodiversity conservation, drawn from around the world and a range of different ecosystems. The book is a suitable textbook for students of ecological economics and an ideal introduction for scientists and environmentalists needing to understand the role of economics in ecology and conservation.

Part I: Methodology, Paradigms, Ethics and Participation - Introduction and Background * Scientific Methodology * Paradigms and Environmental Decision-making * Economics, Intergenerational Equity and Biodiversity Conservation * Economics, Land Use Planning and Participation * Part II: Case Studies - Conflict and Agreement in Australian Forests * Marine Conservation Through Collaboration and Partnership: Recent Australian Experiences * Biodiversity Conservation in Indonesia: Policy and Politics * From Top-down to Participatory Planning: Conservation Lessons from the Adirondack Park, United States * Policy, Institutions, Values and Biodiversity Conservation in Vanuatu * Negotiating Agendas in Biodiversity Conservation: The India Ecodevelopment Project, Karnataka * Conflict Management in community-based Natural Resource Projects: Experiences from the Lakekamu Basin Integrated Conservation and Development Project, Papua New Guinea * References * Index

Lucca Tacconi is Rural Development Adviser for the Australian Agency for International Development.