Economic Reasons for Conserving Wild Nature

Abstract

On the eve of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, it is timely to assess progress over the 10 years since its predecessor in Rio de Janeiro. Loss and degradation of remaining natural habitats has continued largely unabated. However, evidence has been accumulating that such systems generate marked economic benefits, which the available data suggest exceed those obtained from continued habitat conversion. We estimate that the overall benefit:cost ratio of an effective global program for the conservation of remaining wild nature is at least 100:1.

Keywords

SummitHabitatHabitat destructionSustainable developmentNatural resource economicsNatural (archaeology)Environmental protectionEnvironmental resource managementGeographyEcologyEnvironmental scienceEconomicsBiologyPhysical geographyArchaeology

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Publication Info

Year: 2002
Type: review
Volume: 297
Issue: 5583
Pages: 950-953
Citations: 1429
Access: Closed

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APA Style

                            
                                
                                    Andrew Balmford, 
                                
                                    Aaron Bruner, 
                                
                                    Phillip J. Cooper
                                
                                et al.
                            
                            (2002). 
                            Economic Reasons for Conserving Wild Nature. 
                            Science
                            , 297
                            (5583)
                            , 950-953.
                            https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1073947
                        

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1126/science.1073947