IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wil/wileco/2021-03.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Seeds of Learning: Uncertainty and Technology Adoption in an Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Game

Author

Abstract

We introduce an interactive game exploring ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change, with a focus on technology adoption and uncertainty. The game is useful in academic classes and trainings for policymakers and stakeholders. Participants play the role of small-scale farmers in a developing country where their farming practices cause erosion that pollutes waterways, while at the same time climate change is making farmers more vulnerable to natural threats like flooding. The game gives participants a series of opportunities to adopt ecosystem-based adaptation practices: for example, a riparian buffer strip, low-till farming, and agroforestry. The practices differ in the uncertainty surrounding their effects on yields. The game deploys three policies to encourage adoption: a flat payment, a conservation auction, and a flat payment with a pilot bonus for early adoption. Players observe each other’s choices and outcomes, which allows for social learning. Participants get a hands-on understanding of climate change’s impacts, adaptation, ecosystem services, payment for ecosystem service programs, choice under uncertainty, social learning, adoption of new technology, learning spillovers, cost-effective conservation, and conservation auctions. We provide all materials necessary to run the game, a list of suggested readings, and ideas for discussions and assignments.

Suggested Citation

  • Babtunde Abidoye & Sahan Dissanayake & Sarah Jacobson, 2021. "Seeds of Learning: Uncertainty and Technology Adoption in an Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Game," Department of Economics Working Papers 2021-03, Department of Economics, Williams College, revised 18 Jan 2021.
  • Handle: RePEc:wil:wileco:2021-03
    DOI: 10.36934/wecon2021-03
    Note: This is a revision of 2020-08
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.36934/wecon:2021-03
    File Function: Full text
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.36934/wecon2021-03?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hanley, Nick & Shogren, Jason & White, Ben, 2013. "Introduction to Environmental Economics," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, edition 2, number 9780199568734, Decembrie.
    2. Apoorv Gupta & Jacopo Ponticelli & Andrea Tesei, 2020. "Language Barriers, Technology Adoption and Productivity: Evidence from Agriculture in India," NBER Working Papers 27192, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Paulo A.L.D. Nunes & Pushpam Kumar & Tom Dedeurwaerdere (ed.), 2014. "Handbook on the Economics of Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15058.
    4. Nicholas J Pates & Nathan P Hendricks, 2020. "Additionality from Payments for Environmental Services with Technology Diffusion," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(1), pages 281-299, January.
    5. Hellerstein, Daniel M., 2017. "The US Conservation Reserve Program: The evolution of an enrollment mechanism," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 601-610.
    6. Daigneault, A. & Brown, P. & Gawith, D., 2016. "Dredging versus hedging: Comparing hard infrastructure to ecosystem-based adaptation to flooding," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 25-35.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sarah A. Jacobson & Luyao Zhang & Jiasheng Zhu, 2022. "The Right Tool for the Job: Matching Active Learning Techniques to Learning Objectives," Papers 2205.03393, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2022.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kim, Youngho & Lichtenberg, Erik & Newburn, David, 2022. "Payments and Penalties in Ecosystem Services Programs," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322103, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Scott M. Swinton, 2022. "Precision conservation: Linking set‐aside and working lands policy," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(3), pages 1158-1167, September.
    3. Kangas, Johanna & Ollikainen, Markku, 2022. "A PES scheme promoting forest biodiversity and carbon sequestration," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    4. Lucas A. Mariani & Jose Renato Haas Ornelas & Bernardo Ricca, 2023. "Banks’ Physical Footprint and Financial Technology Adoption," Working Papers Series 576, Central Bank of Brazil, Research Department.
    5. Preusse, Verena & Wollni, Meike, 2021. "Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in the context of urbanisation and environmental stress – Evidence from farmers in the rural-urban interface of Bangalore, India," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 312690, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Elliott, Steven R., 2005. "Sustainability: an economic perspective," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 263-277.
    7. P. Hlaváčková & D. Šafařík, 2016. "Quantification of the utility value of the recreational function of forests from the aspect of valuation practice," Journal of Forest Science, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 62(8), pages 345-356.
    8. Speers, Ann E. & Besedin, Elena Y. & Palardy, James E. & Moore, Chris, 2016. "Impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on coral reef fisheries: An integrated ecological–economic model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 33-43.
    9. Roxane Marchal & Guillaume Piton & Elena Lopez-Gunn & Pedro Zorrilla-Miras & Peter van der Keur & Kieran W. J. Dartée & Polona Pengal & John H. Matthews & Jean-Marc Tacnet & Nina Graveline & Monica A., 2019. "The (Re)Insurance Industry’s Roles in the Integration of Nature-Based Solutions for Prevention in Disaster Risk Reduction—Insights from a European Survey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-24, November.
    10. Yu, Zhenning & She, Shuoqi & Xia, Chuyu & Luo, Jiaojiao, 2023. "How to solve the dilemma of China’s land fallow policy: Application of voluntary bidding mode in the Yangtze River Delta of China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    11. Christian Elleby & Frank Jensen, 2018. "How Many Instruments Do We Really Need? A First-Best Optimal Solution to Multiple Objectives with Fisheries Regulation," IFRO Working Paper 2018/05, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
    12. Hrabrin Bachev, 2021. "Modes of Governance for Ecosystem Services in Bulgarian Farms," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 8, pages 145-174.
    13. Pratt, Bryan & Wallander, Steven, 2022. "Cover Practice Definitions and Incentives in the Conservation Reserve Program," Economic Information Bulletin 327358, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    14. Clevo Wilson, 2010. "Why should sustainable finance be given priority?," Accounting Research Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 23(3), pages 267-280, November.
    15. Sain, Gustavo & Loboguerrero, Ana María & Corner-Dolloff, Caitlin & Lizarazo, Miguel & Nowak, Andreea & Martínez-Barón, Deissy & Andrieu, Nadine, 2017. "Costs and benefits of climate-smart agriculture: The case of the Dry Corridor in Guatemala," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 163-173.
    16. Figueroa, Adolfo, 2013. "Economic growth and the environment," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), April.
    17. Tatyana Deryugina & Frances C. Moore & Richard S.J. Tol, 2020. "Applications of the Coase Theorem," Working Paper Series 0820, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    18. Paul J. Burke, 2016. "Undermined by Adverse Selection: Australia's Direct Action Abatement Subsidies," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 35(3), pages 216-229, September.
    19. Dilek Uz & Steven Buck & David Sunding, 2022. "Fixed or mixed? Farmer‐level heterogeneity in response to changes in salinity," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(4), pages 1343-1363, August.
    20. Zhang, Daojun & Yin, Runsheng, 2019. "Spatial characteristics of degraded land and their implications to the design and implementation of landscape restoration programs: West China as an example," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 1-1.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    classroom game; climate change adaptation; ecosystem-based adaptation; payments for ecosystem services; technology adoption; uncertainty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A20 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - General
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • 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
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wil:wileco:2021-03. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Stephen Sheppard (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/edwilus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.