Reference no: EM133395803
Background
The extensive rainforest in Africa's Congo Basin is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Its peatlands are also a vast store of carbon.
Thus far, this area remains relatively undeveloped.But permits to exploit possible oil and natural gas reserves in various areas in this region have recently been sold by the DRC government, even though the government has come under international pressure to protect the rainforest.
The Assignment
The assignment is in several parts. Please address these, in turn, in the course of your answer.
* From a global perspective, what do you think would be the best way for land to be used in the Congo region, and why?Please note that there are implications for global warming, biodiversity, and inequality.
* Next, how would you advise governments in the region to use their land, drawing on ideas from Public Economics? (The cases of Belize and Costa Rica may be instructive.)
* Related to the previous part, what policies would you suggest (and why) in order to bring about the recommended land usage?
As a reference, I would suggest you look up some of the very relevant discussion in the Dasgupta Review of 2021 (the 610-page version).
Then, please write a thoughtful, well-constructed, carefully-researched economics essay, setting out your ideas in answer to the above parts of the question.
Rules
Page length: your answer should be between 4.5 and 5 pages long (excluding references).
Your answers must be typed, using one-and-a-half line spacing, 12-point font, and a minimum of 1-inch margins.
In addition, you will need to submit a written outline that gives the structure of your answer. This should be handed in at the same time as the assignment itself. It will be graded, but will not contribute to the page limit.
The essay should be entirely your own work. If you make use of other sources (as you should), please cite these appropriately. As I noted previously with the first writing assignment, if you do use text written by others directly, it must be enclosed in "..." and cited accurately in a separate References section at the end of your paper. (References do not contribute to the page limit.) As an example, if you quoted from something like the Stern Review directly, you should footnote that source (as "See Stern (2007), page n.") and then add the reference at the end:
Stern, Nicholas (2007), The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review, Cambridge University Press.
(Upon submission, your assignment will be reviewed using Ouriginal, which will check immediately for any plagiarism. Your answers must be your own work, obviously. Having someone else write all or part of this assignment for you constitutes an academic offence, as would ‘borrowing' text written by others in an unattributed way.)
Evaluation
The assignment is worth 18 percent of the overall grade. Your essay will be evaluated
based on the following criteria:
1. The depth of your research: especially, have you managed to uncover any interesting aspects of the Dasgupta Review that can be incorporated into your policy proposals?(Please show that you have a clear understanding of the relevant portion of the Review.)
2. The creativity you demonstrate in proposing viable recommendations.
3. The quality of your economic analysis.
4. The organization of your essay: is your argument clear and cogent?
5. The quality of your writing.