Benefit-cost analysis. Conceptual framework. Organization of the guide. Institutional and planning context. Multiple objetive nature of decisions. Planning and decision-making context. Organizational and administrative structure. Principles and environmental quality extensions of benefit-costs analysis. The purpose of benefit-cost analysis. Sources of values. Investment planning and decisions. Extension of benefit-cost analysis to environmental quality. Economic valuation techniques. Analyzing activities. Key definitions and concepts. Analyzing activities. Some examples of analysis. Analyzing effects on natural systems and receptors. Some problems in analyzing effects. Types of models for analyzing effects. Approaches to estimating effects. Choosing a model or set of models. Examples of estimating effects on natural systems. Some problems in estimating effects on natural systems. Approaches for estimating effects on receptors. Environmental quality valuation from the benefit side. Valuing benefits - a brief summary. Market value or productivity approaches. Surrogate market approaches. Litigation and compensation. Survey-based valuation techniques. Environmental quality valuation from the cost side. Cost analysis techniques. Cost-effectiveness analysis. Multiactivity economic-environmental quality models. Input-output models. Linear-programming models of environmental quality. Other models.

An in-depth assessment of the most recent conceptual and methodological developments in cost-benefit analysis and the environment.

An impressive piece of work that deserves to be on every European agricultural economist s bookshelf. Jean-Christophe Bureau, European Review of Agricultural Economics This is an excellent text that could be used in specialist academic courses in environmental and natural resource economics, ecological economics and cost benefit analysis, as well as in interdisciplinary courses in public policy, planning and environmental management. David James, Australasian Journal of Environmental Management Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) is one of the most useful tools of applied economics for the social appraisal of public projects and government policies. Nick Hanley and Edward Barbier show how CBA can be applied to environmental policy choice and environmental resource management. They cover the conceptual underpinnings of CBA, practical methods for applying CBA, and a wide range of case study applications from Europe, North America and developing countries. Issues such as the value of ecosystem services and the special problems posed for CBA by environmental management are brought into close focus. The textbook is aimed at students on inter-disciplinary courses as well as those studying environmental economics, welfare economics and public policy. It will also be of interest to people in the policy community, NGOs and consultancy sectors.