Achieving nature conservation objectives: problems and opportunities with economics

This paper considers the use of economic analysis in nature conservation within the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC). The development of official nature conservation in Britain and the relationship to land use changes is described, and the focus on site safeguard illustrated by declines in distributions and viability of populations of some species. A restatement of nature conservation objectives is proposed and the role of economic analysis in developing policies to secure these described. The use of economics by the NCC and the lessons learned from this are outlined. The implication of the commitment to sustainability is then discussed and concerns over how environmental valuation is used in light of this described. The paper concludes that economic analysis is a powerful tool for integrating nature conservation into wider rural policies and for the development of measures to secure contributions by other interests to meeting nature conservation objectives.