Ece Ozdemiroglu

Economic literature is often too theoretical for engineers and policymakers to put into practical use, while scientific literature on the remediation of contaminated aquifers rarely considers costs and benefits. Written by a hydrogeologist and an economist, The Economics of Groundwater Remediation and Protection integrates economics and cost-benefit analysis tools with optimal protection and remediation strategies for groundwater resources. The book provides a thorough introduction of the concepts of groundwater flow and contaminant transport, and the basics of economic decision making techniques. It illustrates the types of risks and impacts caused by groundwater contamination, and the economic benefits of its remediation. The volume reviews a wide range of issues such as cost, implementation, and expectations of success for the latest remediation trends and techniques. The book shows how economic analysis can be used to determine how much we should pay for groundwater clean-up, and when spending too much - or too little - actually makes us all worse-off. The authors' step-by-step methodology for decision-making focuses on determining optimal remedial objectives, from containment to extensive cleanup, and the selection of least-cost alternatives. They use examples from their personal experience to illustrate the methodologies in action and put the issues into perspective. Combining the theoretical and practical aspects of science, policy, and economics, this book places the importance of groundwater remediation in the context of environmental economics, protection, and preservation. The Economics of Groundwater Remediation and Protection is also an excellent introduction to innovative solutions for funding remediation projects, education, and incentive programs, such as mitigation banking, land pollution credit schemes, and conservation credit alternatives.

It is well known that the voluntary sector in modern society is large in terms of economic activity - but how large? The authors of this pioneering book attempt to address this problem by utilizing survey techniques, originally developed in environmental economics, to place an economic value on the benefits provided by the voluntary sector in the UK. The authors comprehensively detail the analytical foundations of their survey methodology, a stated preference approach, and the results which were achieved. The economic value of the voluntary sector is elicited by discovering the general public's willingness to pay, to maintain charitable services that are at a hypothetical risk of closure. This willingness to pay is shown to be an important element of the economic value of the voluntary sector. The authors move on to investigate the benefits provided by the charitable sector in general and by housing and homelessness charities in particular. The book considers how, if people are willing to pay more for charities than they actually do, this economic surplus can be captured and turned into flows of income for the charities themselves. Fiscal incentives, the efficacy of various fund-raising methods and the benefits of population targeting are all examined as a means to this end. The book also discusses whether the value of charities can be defined in a wider context in terms of social capital. This highly innovative book will be of great interest to social economists, social scientists and all organizations working within and connected to the voluntary sector.