nature needs economics

The word 'ecology' is derived from the Ancient Greek word 'Oekologie: The prefix oikos meaning “House” and suffix logos meaning “Study”. It is the branch of biology that studies organizations in their environment. 

The word “economics” has the same root - the ancient Greek word for home. Economics, at its core, is the study of managing a household or home. Is there a more important home to us than the earth, than our environment? 

Many of our conservation challenges, whether relating to biodiversity loss or climate change, have to do with the allocation of resources and the incentive systems we have built into our economies. By understanding these incentives, human behavior and resource allocation, Conservation Economics allows us to identify the costs and benefits of sustaining natural ecosystems in standard economic development, enabling change through shifts in human behavior and policy. Through this, we can accomplish more efficient and lasting conservation by lowering the costs and revealing the true benefits, aligning efforts with genuine economic development.

A partner I have been working with , Conservation Strategy Fund, uses their expertise in the study of economics, or #numbersfornature, to construct a clearer

picture of the costs and benefits of human economic activity on environmental and social well-being. CSF then empowers people with the economic research and tools to justify including nature at the helm of our decision-making process.

We can have prosperous economies and a living planet. Healthy forests, rivers and oceans can coexist with the needs of people. In fact, achieving this balance is more urgent than ever. But to get there we need to forge the smartest, most economically realistic strategies for conservation.