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Chapter 46
Application of Quantitative
Methods in Natural Resource
Management in Africa:
A Review
ABSTRACT
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)’s natural resource base constitutes the sub-continent’s greatest asset. These
Natural Resources (NRs), both renewable and non-renewable, are the backbone of the continent as they
play very critical functions in the livelihood strategies of the people. There are a wide range of questions
and issues concerning the proper management of these NRs. One of the issues relates to the economics of
resource preservation, which includes questions associated with the quantifiable benefits of resource preser-
vation, the environmental costs and benefits of Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) strategies, the economic
impact of land use changes, and valuation of ecosystem goods and services. The other issue concerns the
ecosystem and economic system interaction. Particular themes of interest are the co-management of natural
resources, trans-boundary natural resource management, and the management of resources to reconcile
revenue generation, social development, and environmental services of natural resources. This chapter
reviews the literature on quantitative approaches that have been undertaken to enhance the understanding
of selected Natural Resource Management (NRM) problems on the continent. The review suggests that a
wide range of quantitative approaches have been applied in the context of the African resource economics
literature, but this review also identifies some specific areas that have received little attention.
Elias T. Ayuk
United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, Ghana
William M. Fonta
United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, Ghana
Euphrasie B. Kouame
United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, Ghana
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-4852-4.ch046