LOJK10248U Economic Valuation Methods and Cost-Benefit Analysis
MSc Programme in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
MSc Programme in Agricultural Economics
MSc Programme in Agriculture
The many services provided by the environment contribute to
human wellbeing directly as well as indirectly by supporting
productive activities. However, the characteristics of
environmental benefits imply that they cannot usually be traded in
markets. The absence of economic incentives in terms of prices
means that political intervention is required to guarantee a
socially optimal supply of environmental services. Economic
valuation methods and cost-benefit analysis provide tools to assess
the benefits and cost of environmental policies and projects. The
primary purpose is to support environmental policy making.
The core components of the course are:
- Markets and Pareto optimality
- Utility, preferences and welfare measures
- Goods characteristics and value concepts
- Principles for valuing human life and health
- Revealed preference approaches including Travel Cost Methods and
Hedonic Value Methods
- Stated preference methods including Contingent Valuation and
Choice Modelling
- Benefit transfer
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Standard conversion factor and tax dead-weight loss
- Discounting and risk
- Relevant case studies to illustrate the application of valuation
methods and cost-benefit analysis in practice.
The central themes of the course are the methodologies and techniques applied in economic valuation and cost-benefit analyses and the underlying economic theory. Economic valuation and cost-benefit analysis are being increasingly applied as support for environmental policy decisions. Health policy-making is another important field of application. The skills and competencies acquired in this course are relevant for employment in private companies, public administrations, research, consultancies and non-governmental organisations.
Having successfully completed the course the participant is
expected to be able to:
Knowledge:
- Explain the welfare economic principles underlying economic
valuation methods and cost-benefit analysis
- Reflect on the validity and limitations of welfare economic
theory in political and ethical contexts
- Describe the different economic valuation methods and the
analytical approaches to cost-benefit analysis
- Reflect on the relevance and limitations of valuation methods and
cost-benefit analysis in relation to various environmental goods
and services, human life, etc.
Skills:
- Identify relevant approaches to economic valuation studies and
cost-benefit analyses in specific analytical settings
- Carry out valuation exercises and cost-benefit analyses using
adequate statistical and quantitative techniques
- Evaluate the validity of the quantitative results obtained in
valuation studies and cost-benefit analyses.
Competences:
- Explain the relevance and limitations of economic valuation
methods and cost-benefit analysis in different policy settings
- Discuss scientific and political disagreements in relation to
economic valuation and cost-benefit analysis.
Basic textbooks used in the course are:
- Bateman, Ian J. et al.: Economic Valuation with Stated Preference
Techniques: A Manual, Edward Elgar, 2002.
- Pearce, D., Atkinson, G. and Mourato S.: Cost-benefit analysis
and the environment: Recent developments, OECD 2006
- Freeman, A. M.: The Measurement of Environmental and Resource
Values, 2nd Edition, Resources for the Future, 2003.
Furthermore, a number of journal articles and selected book
chapters will be made available during the course.
Furthermore, it is recommended that students have acquired basic competences in micro economics (e.g. LOJB10259 or LLEF10218 or similar courses) as well as econometrics (e.g. LOJK10272 or similar courses)
- Category
- Hours
- Exam
- 4
- Lectures
- 42
- Practical exercises
- 14
- Preparation
- 132
- Theory exercises
- 14
- Total
- 206
As
an exchange, guest and credit student - click here!
Continuing Education - click here!
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Oral examinationThe exam will take approximately 40 minutes per student. First, a random exam question is drawn from a pool of questions. The student will then have 20 minutes alone with all aids available to prepare an answer to the exam question. The student will then present his/her answer to the examinators for about 8-10 minutes and the examinators will ask additional questions for another 10-12 minutes. After that, a grade is given based on the oral exam.
- Aid
- Written aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
One internal examiner
- Re-exam
Same as ordinary exam
Criteria for exam assesment
The assessment will be based on the student's ability to show in the oral exam that the learning outcomes described above have been acheived.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- LOJK10248U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 3
- Schedule
- A
- Course capacity
- No limits
- Continuing and further education
- Study board
- Study Board of Natural Resources and Environment
Contracting department
- Department of Food and Resource Economics
Course responsibles
- Søren Bøye Olsen (4-79756875466f6c787534717b346a71)
Lecturers
Associate Professor Søren Bøye Olsen
PhD student Kennet Uggeldahl
and a few guest lecturers