Ocean Economics

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

Seminar.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to apply basic economic concepts to the management of natural resources have a better understanding of the ocean’s contribution to economic activity and humanity’s well-being gain insights on different ways of governing the ocean improve (practice and further develop) presentation and writing skills.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Oceans cover around 70% of the world's surface and provide many valuable natural resources and ecosystem services, like food, oil or uptake of carbon. Activities related to the ocean have an impressive long-term economic potential, but they do not come without risks, e.g. related to the ocean’s health (OECD, 2016). In this seminar, we discuss how the ocean contributes to the well-being of humanity by providing ecosystem services and by being the basis for many economic activities. Some of the types of uses may be able to co-exists, while others may not. Accordingly, we will look at governance structures that aim to steer the use of the ocean. We will discuss basic economic concepts of natural resource management and look at theories of political economy to understand under what conditions which type of resource management is likely to emerge. In addition, we will discuss a selection of concrete examples.

Head Lecturer(s)

José Paulo Filipe Afonso de Sousa

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Seminar Paper with Assignment : 100.0%

Bibliography

• EEA (2012): Late lessons from early warnings II. https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/late-lessons-2/late-lessons-2-full-report

• J. Schultz (2005): The ecozones of the world: The ecological divisions of the geosphere. Springer

• S. Chapin et al. (2004): Principles of terrestrial ecosystem ecology. Springer

• Winiwarter, V. and H.-R. Bork (2019): Geschichte unserer Umwelt. Primus-Verlag and WBG