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Accounting for India’s Forest Wealth

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  • Giles Atkinson

    (MSE)

  • Haripriya Gundimeda

Abstract

In this paper, we account for forest wealth in India. Changes in the timber and carbon wealth embodied in these forests are related to important green national accounting aggregates such as genuine saving and the change in wealth per capita. Important accounting issues include the timing of carbon releases, which occur when forests are disturbed, as well as the valuation of these releases. Our empirical findings suggest that while Indias forest wealth is substantial, net changes in this wealth are arguably not so large at least in relation to GNP. However, when viewed in the context of the wealth-diluting effects of population growth this implies a far larger additional savings effort is required to cover the (net) loss in forest values than otherwise appears to be the case. Finally, we examine ways in which the accounting approach that we adopt can be reconciled with approaches which stress conserving forest wealth.

Suggested Citation

  • Giles Atkinson & Haripriya Gundimeda, 2006. "Accounting for India’s Forest Wealth," Development Economics Working Papers 22494, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:eab:develo:22494
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    1. Aevermann Tim & Schmude Jürgen, 2015. "Quantification and monetary valuation of urban ecosystem services in Munich, Germany," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 59(3), pages 188-200, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Forestry; India; Wealth; wealth-diluting effects;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q23 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Forestry
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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