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Prof Charles Palmer

This course is available on the BA in Geography, BSc in Economic History and Geography, BSc in Environment and Development, BSc in Environment and Sustainable Development, BSc in Environment and Sustainable Development with Economics, BSc in Environmental Policy with Economics and BSc in Geography with Economics. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

Applied Environmental Economics (GY222) and/or Intermediate Microeconomics (EC201 or EC202 or EC2A1 or EC2A3 or EC2A5)

This half-unit course explores the complex relationships between economic development, poverty and the environment. Over five, inter-related themes, GY329 covers a range of critical natural resource and environmental issues in low-and middle-income countries, that is, issues at the interface of environment and development. Using concepts and analytical tools grounded in applied economics, primarily environmental and development economics, the course begins with an examination of the relationship between poverty and environmental change related to resource use, and the role of population growth in this relationship (theme I). It then moves to a discussion of the design and implementation of policies to effect change in conservation and/or development outcomes, in weak institutional settings (theme II). A key institution is that of property rights, with common property playing an important role in resource management and conservation (theme III). Some key conservation and poverty alleviation efforts attempt to address market failures associated with the demand for, and supply of, food and energy (theme IV). While food and energy are typically supplied in rural settings, changes in the extent and compositiion of demand are associated with rapid urbanization, trade, and sectoral shifts in the economy (theme V).

In the Department of Geography and Environment, teaching will be delivered through a combination of classes/seminars, pre-recorded lectures, live online lectures, in-person lectures and other supplementary interactive live activities.

This course is delivered through a combination of classes and lectures across Winter Term.

This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term. 

Students will be expected to produce a ‘mock exam’ essay during the Winter Term.

There are no textbooks for this course. The reading list has been curated for the course, primarily readings from economics journals (general and field).

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours, reading time: 5 minutes) in the spring exam period.

Note this will be an invigilated e-exam.