Environmental Resource Benefit Assessment

This chapter analyzes the importance of environmental resource benefit assessment and describes the methodology of its source benefit assessment (Sect. 2.1), using environmental pollution control as a guide. Environmental pollution is a manifestation of negative externalities of environmental resources. In order to control environmental pollution, direct regulation and market incentives are two feasible ideas. Theoretically, the Environmental Kuznets Curve explains that environmental governance must be balanced in the process of economic development (Sect. 2.2). Benefits assessment is an important part of this process. Actually, the effect of environmental resources is essentially an economic benefit, which is expressed based on the physical value and the value of environmental services. The value of this asset assessment can be categorized into various types such as market value and non-market value. In order to assess the benefits of environmental resources, there are three basic methods: the market price method, the income method, and the cost method. Finally, this chapter provides a systematic explanation of the concepts, classifications, and methods in the benefit valuation analysis and cost–benefit analysis of environmental resources (Sect. 2.3). It also utilizes the practical case of ecotourism development to lead to more in-depth thinking (Sect. 2.4).