Economic evaluation of existence value of ecosystems

Research Project

Project/Area Number	15310022
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Environmental impact assessment/Environmental policy
Research Institution	Tokyo Institute of Technology
Principal Investigator	HIDANO Noboru Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Decision Science of Technology, Professor, 大学院・社会理工学研究科, 教授 (90111658)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	MUTO Shigeo Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Professor, 大学院・社会理工学研究科, 教授 (50126330) KUWAKO Toshio Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Professor, 大学院・社会理工学研究科, 教授 (30134422) NAKAGAWA Masanori Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Professor, 大学院・社会理工学研究科, 教授 (40155685) KATO Takaaki Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Assistant Professor, 大学院・社会理工学研究科, 助手 (20293079)
Project Period (FY)	2003 – 2004
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2004)
Budget Amount *help	¥4,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,500,000) Fiscal Year 2004: ¥2,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000) Fiscal Year 2003: ¥2,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000)
Keywords	Existence value of ecosystem / Two player non-cooperative game / Reciprocity / CVM / Economic evaluation / Concept of self / Social survey / 環境評価 / 地球温暖化 / 生態系 / ゲーム論 / ゲーム理論
Research Abstract	This study investigated into three research areas in order to establish a feasible method of evaluating complex environment, in particular, ecosystems. First, the study reviewed the usage of several central concepts of discussing environmental issues. The concept of "self" is focused on and the study argued its functions and limitations when analyzing the relationships between human beings and ecosystems. Second, the study introduced a new type of two-player non-cooperative game. Cohabitation of different species is commonly found in the ecosystem. These species should have been competing with each other at first, but somehow they stopped fighting and chose to live together. In this new game, players have an option to merge together and act as a single player. The game is designed so that it can simulate the change from a competition phase to a cohabitation phase. The study thoroughly searched for conditions among various types of payoff tables under which players chose the merger option. Third, the study developed a contingent valuation technique of evaluating Japan's anti global warning policies. Great impacts on ecosystems are expected due to climate changes and contingent valuation is a potentially useful policy evaluation method of complex environmental changes.