Recent advances in evolutionary theory have some important implications for environmental economics. A short overview is offered of evolutionary thinking in economics. Subsequently, major concepts and approaches in evolutionary biology and evolutionary economics are presented and compared. Attention is devoted, among others, to Darwinian selection, punctuated equilibrium, sorting mechanisms, Lamarckian evolution, coevolution and self-organization. Basic features of evolution, such as sustained change, irreversible change, unpredictability, qualitative change and disequilibrium are examined. It is argued that there are a number of fundamental differences as well as similarities between biological and economic evolution. Next, some general implications of evolutionary thinking for environmental economics are outlined. This is followed by a more detailed examination of potential uses of evolutionary theories in specific areas of environmental economics, including sustainability and long run development theories, technology and environment, ecosystem management and resilience, spatial evolution and environmental processes, and design of environmental policy.

concerns about the social, environmental and economic consequences of forest loss and degradation. CIFOR research produces knowledge and methods needed to improve the well-being of forest-dependent people and to help tropical countries manage their forests wisely for sustained benefits. This research is done in more than two dozen countries, in partnership with numerous partners. Since it was founded, CIFOR has also played a central role in influencing global and national forestry policies. CGIAR The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), established in 1971, is an informal association of nearly 60 public and private sector donors that support a network of 16 international agricultural research centers. The CGIAR’s mission is to contribute to food security and poverty eradication in developing countries through research, partnership, capacity building and policy support. The CGIAR promotes sustainable agricultural development based on environmentally sound management of natural resources. This document has been produced with financial assistance of the European Community. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and can therefore in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Community. This document forms part of the assistance of the European Union

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Short-term decisions of small-scale fishers selecting alternative target species: a choice model

This paper reviews literature in and around new institutional economics to assess its contributions to, and limitations in, research on environmental decisionmaking and governance. The paper also proposes ways to increase the fruitfulness of new institutional approach for environmental research. The paper identifies the conceptualisation of environmental problems as instances of interdependence and the acknowledgement of positive transaction costs as the hallmarks of new institutional approach to the environment. The paper also discusses how the new institutional approach can be extended so as to acknowledge plural motivations and limited cognitive capacity. The paper investigates how evolutionary and collective action theories frame the choice and change of environmental governance institutions and discusses how the notion of social capital can enrich institutional analyses. The paper concludes that the new institutional approach to the environment is particularly attractive for understanding institutional or policy design and policy implementation.