Engendering Economic Valuation of Tropical Forests: Exploratory Notes

Abstract

Environmental economics, and economic valuation of the environment in particular, has in the past two decades not only become increasingly popular in academic circles, but has also been widely adopted as a development approach by international and local development agencies. However, while this approach now makes visible and valued environmental resources which were previously considered free externalities in economic accounting, it continues to be blind to the importance of gender concerns. This article reviews the basic tools of economic valuation of the environment, and suggests how a gender analysis of these tools might make them better informed.