Research:

The Department of Environmental and Resource Economics at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad located in the Faculty of Agriculture Economics and Rural Sociology is focusing on two main branches of Economics a) Environmental Economics; and b) Natural Resource Economics. The department of Environment and Resource Economics are identifying the following themes as priority component for future research. The future research will emphasize on application of economic principles to broad topics given below.

Environmental Economics

1.         Development new knowledge about economic and social consequences of environmental regulation

The research focus of the department of ERE can improve societies understanding of the economic and social consequences of environmental regulation. This should include research programs to:

  Ø      Enhance existing and develop new methods to assess the benefits and costs of government regulation affecting agriculture production and the environment.

  Ø      Develop design and evaluate integrated policies and institutions to mitigate negative environmental impacts of production agriculture, and

  Ø      Expand scientific knowledge about quantitative and qualitative assessment tools that can be applied to non-market goods such as environmental quality.

2.         Environmental Pollution and Policy Design for Control

  Ø      Air, Water and Solid Waste

  Ø      Valuation of Damages

  Ø      Methods and Costs of Control

  Ø      Economic and Fiscal Incentives

3.         Economics of Green Initiative

  Ø      Pollution Reduction at Source

  Ø      Costs and Benefits of Clean Technology

  Ø      Economics Justification for Afforestation

            4.         Role of Institution in Environmental Management

  Ø      Management of Common Property Resources

  Ø      Public, Private and Joint Management

  Ø      Centralized Vs Decentralized Management at State, and Municipal level

  Ø      Role of Voluntary Organizations, Research Prioritization

5.   Environment and Natural Resource Management: Procedure for Accounting Valuation and Impact Assessment.

Natural resource management and environmental quality – including land, water, air, habit, endangered species, and climate changes – are important public concerns for future generations. Therefore, future research will emphasize to:

  Ø      Evaluate the economics of best management practices to sustain and improve water, soil, and air quality.

  Ø      Evaluate and measure the values that the public places on environmental goods.

  Ø      Develop mechanisms to assess and mitigate global environmental resource management including climate change and desertification.

  Ø      Assess the costs and benefits of government regulations on agriculture, the food and fiber system, natural resources, and the environment.

  Ø      Evaluate the impacts of alternative agricultural systems such as suitable agriculture and organic farming.

 6.   Linkages between Poverty, Development and Environment

  Ø      Policy Instruments to Reorient the Market Forces for Sustainable Development

  Ø      Government Programmes and Environment

7.     Responding to climate change and variability

  Ø      Increasing our understanding of the impact of climate changes and variability at the regional level across Pakistan and addressing the consequences of these factors on the environment and on communities

  Ø      Develop new knowledge about economic and social consequences of environmental regulation

8.     International Issues

  Ø      Convention and Protocols on Climate Change, Biodiversity and

          so on

  Ø      International Economic Instruments

  Ø      Environmental Management and International Trade

9.      Macroeconomic Policies and Structural Adjustment

  Ø      Trade and Environment

  Ø      Taxes and Subsidies

b) Natural Resource Economics

Natural Resource Economics covers a wide range of resources, such as exhaustible, renewable, flow and biological resources. The role of resource economist is to transform the way we utilize our land, water, mineral and energy resources through a better understanding of human and environmental systems and the use of new technologies.

1. Water – a critical resource

To find out alternative sustainable modes of improving water productivity, using less water in agriculture and other industries, providing increased protection of rivers and groundwater and the re-use of urban and industrial wastewaters.

2. Transforming existing industries

To evaluate new technologies for resource – based industries to deliver substantial increases in national wealth while minimizing environmental impacts on land and sea.

3. Overcoming soil loss, salinity and acidity

Identifying causes and solutions to land degradation using a multidisciplinary approach to restore land surfaces.

4. Reducing and capturing emissions in transport and energy generation

Evaluate alternative transport technologies and clean combustion and efficient new power generation systems and capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide.

5. Sustainable use of Pakistan’s biodiversity

Develop suggestions through empirical studies to manage and protect Pakistan’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity both for its own value and to develop long term use of ecosystem goods and services ranging from fisheries to ecotourism.

6. Developing deep earth resources

Smart high-technology exploration methodologies, including imaging and mapping the deep earth and ocean floors, and novel efficient ways of commodity extraction and processing (examples include minerals, oil and gas) while minimizing negative ecological and social impacts.

7. How can land use be managed to minimize conflicts and resolve rural-urban issues?

  Ø      Define and educate about the meaning of land use incompatibilities and sprawl and the economic and other impacts of congestion/sprawl.

  Ø      Measure the preferences/values of the public for various land uses and the attributes (open space) of these land uses.

  Ø      Design new public policies for managing land use and educate about these policy options and their impacts.

  Ø      Research and educate about the performance of alternative policy options to manage land use.

  Ø      Understand and analyze the unique issues at the rural-urban interface.

 1) Institute of Applied Research and Technology Transfer, Department of Environmental and Resource Economics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.

Name of P.I./Co-P.I./Department

Dr. Bashir Ahmad

Coordinator

Date of Initiation: January 1999

Sponsoring Agency Budget : Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Islamabad.

Budget: 26,02,803.00

2 ) Determination of Profitability and Efficient Production Packages for Various Vegetables, Department of Environmental and Resource Economics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.

Name of P.I./Co-P.I./Department

Dr. Bashir Ahmad

Principal Investigator

Date of Initiation: April 2001

Sponsoring Agency Budget: Pakistan Agricultural Research Council,

Islamabad.

Budget:  25,00,000.00

3) Analysis of Benefits and Cost of Research, Department of Environmental and Resource Economics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.

Name of P.I./Co-P.I./Department

Dr. Bashir Ahmad

Principal Investigator

Dr. Zulfiqar Ahmad Gill

Co-Principal Investigator

Date of Initiation: September 2004

Sponsoring Agency Budget: Natrional Drainage Programme, Lahore

Budget: 9,07,500.00