Project appraisal and planning for overdeveloped countries: II. Shadow pricing under uncertainty

In the uncertainty that surrounds the future availability of nonrenewable natural resources and the efficacy of technological advance, the economic costing of resources should be undertaken probabilistically. While optimistic assumptions entail little change from the costing procedures used in conventional cost-benefit analysis, even moderately pessimistic assumptions lead to a much increased cost for nonrenewable resources. These lead in turn to a reappraisal of the value of investment and of the cost ascribed to other factors of production. Even when optimistic assumptions are deemed the more plausible, a utility-maximizing evaluation may still give more emphasis to pessimism.     

The value of mineral resources: Perspectives and conflicts

The concept of value is central to mineral economics as it is all branches of economics. In the minerals sphere particular problems are posed for a theory of value by, firstly, the non- renewability of mineral resources, secondly the substantial effort that must be made to convert a mineral into a useful product, and finally the perception of minerals, both economically and symbolically, as peculiarly national forms of wealth. Some thoughts are offered on different approaches to mineral resource valuation and on the frequently conflicting principles of exploitation to which these various approaches give rise.     

Territorial planning,environmental issues and social appraisal: some general implications of ‘new’ assessment methodologies

The paper attempts to conceptualise a range of problems arising from project appraisals. The author presents some general considerations concerning the role of social appraisal in territorial planning, the theoretical weaknesses of cost‐benefit analysis in assessing the effects of projects on territorial resources and some questions relating to assessment methodologies and the welfare foundations of social appraisal within planning practices. The author moves away from evaluation as a technical process towards one which also incorporates ‘practical’ knowledge in a process of argumentation.     

A multicriteria approach for mapping risks of agricultural pollution for water resources: The Venice Lagoon watershed case study

A multicriteria analysis system was developed for producing risk maps of agricultural pollution due to alternative cultivation systems in the Watershed of the Lagoon of Venice (WLV) in Italy. Results of a field-scale simulation model for agricultural diffuse pollution were used to compile a matrix of environmental impacts, in terms of pollution indices. The most widespread combinations of typical environments (as defined by combinations of soil and climate variables) and alternative land uses (types of crops and cultivation systems) were described in the impact matrix. Land use in terms of crop distribution was based on census data. Two alternative cultivation systems were defined on the basis of the recent changes to the European Common Agricultural Policy: ordinary and eco-compatible. The effects of alternative scenarios were evaluated in terms of pollution risks for water resources. The evaluation procedure was built into the framework of a geographical information system to take into account the spatial features of pollution phenomena, vulnerability of the land and risk for water resources. The results demonstrated the great potential of eco-compatible practices for reducing the risks for surface and groundwater (−15 and −50%, respectively).     

Change in environmental stability and the use of resources on small islands: The case of Formentera,Balearic Islands,Spain

Since the beginning of the 1960s, mass tourism has been the most important menace to the environmental stability of fragile and vulnerable Mediterranean microinsular systems. The socioeconomic changes introduced by tourism have produced important variations in the use of resources, including land. The result usually has been an increase in the level of artificiality of the territory, particularly in coastal areas. The intensity and frequency of change in the use of resources and the induced changes in the level of artificiality may be used as an estimation of environmental stability. The northern area of Formentera, Balearic islands, Spain, being the most environmentally important area of the island and simultaneously the most threatened by mass tourism development, has been chosen as a study case. Forty types of vegetation and land use have been estimated and mapped in the area. The stability level of each land use type has been estimated, before and after the development of tourism, and the main environmental processes have been identified. An attempt is made to predict some future trends and their variations.     

Managing for Desired Experiences and Site Preferences: The Case of Fee-Fishing Anglers

Fee-fishing involves paying a fee for the privilege of fishing a body of water where fish populations are enhanced by stocking fish. Past literature on this activity has focused more on the operation of the enterprise and management of the fish than the people and site characteristics. The objectives of the study were to profile anglers and describe their site/management preferences. This study utilized an on-site interview and mail-back questionnaire at fee-fishing establishments in West Virginia (n = 212). Factor analysis of desired recreation experiences yielded five factors: Experience nature & adventure, Stress release & relaxation, Trophy fishing, Escape, and Family time. Cluster analysis showed that these anglers can be segmented into two distinct clusters, differing by sociodemographic characteristics, fishing behavior, and site/management preferences. The findings from this study provide baseline data to aid public resource managers and fee-fishing business owners in determining how to provide satisfying outdoor experiences and deliver desired services on-site. Future research will be needed from additional fee-fishing sites to obtain more detail about this outdoor recreation cohort and be able to generalize to a larger population of participants.     

Sustainability at the Local Scale: Defining Highly Aggregated Indices for Assessing Environmental Performance. The Province of Reggio Emilia (Italy) as a Case Study

In order to achieve improved sustainability, local authorities need to use tools that adequately describe and synthesize environmental information. This article illustrates a methodological approach that organizes a wide suite of environmental indicators into few aggregated indices, making use of correlation, principal component analysis, and fuzzy sets. Furthermore, a weighting system, which includes stakeholders’ priorities and ambitions, is applied. As a case study, the described methodology is applied to the Reggio Emilia Province in Italy, by considering environmental information from 45 municipalities. Principal component analysis is used to condense an initial set of 19 indicators into 6 fundamental dimensions that highlight patterns of environmental conditions at the provincial scale. These dimensions are further aggregated in two indices of environmental performance through fuzzy sets. The simple form of these indices makes them particularly suitable for public communication, as they condensate a wide set of heterogeneous indicators. The main outcomes of the analysis and the potential applications of the method are discussed.     

Harmonizing water management and social needs: a necessary condition for sustainable development. The case of Israel's coastal aquifer

This study focuses on the problem of most efficiently fulfilling the water requirements of society for sustainable water resources management. The goal is to coordinate effectively the social needs of the resident population with operational water resources management planning.The proposed approach consists of a pyramidal hierarchy of water resource management needs, similar to that suggested by psychologist Abraham Maslow for human social needs. The two pyramidal hierarchies can be simultaneously employed to delineate guidelines to synchronize planning for sustainable water resources development with the concerns and expectations of the resident population. In both hierarchies, higher level needs remain irrelevant and difficult to attain until lower level needs of the resident population have been fulfilled.Management planning measures employed with regard to Israel's coastal aquifer have been used to illustrate this approach. Observation of Israel's experience indicates markedly reduced effectiveness where such measures have failed to be properly synchronised with societal needs. Conversely, where hydrological management measures were successfully synchronized with societal concerns, increased efficiency towards attaining sustainable groundwater management was evident.