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Coping with Multiple Catastrophic Threats

Author

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  • Yacov Tsur

    (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

  • Amos Zemel

    (Ben Gurion University of the Negev)

Abstract

We study intertemporal policies for dealing with multiple catastrophic threats with endogenous hazards, allowing, inter alia, for gradual mitigation efforts that accumulate to reduce occurrence risks. The long-run properties of the optimal policies are characterized in terms of the key parameters (damage, hazard sensitivity and natural degradation rate) associated with each type of catastrophic threat. Effects of background threats on the optimal response to a potential catastrophe are illustrated numerically.

Suggested Citation

  • Yacov Tsur & Amos Zemel, 2017. "Coping with Multiple Catastrophic Threats," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 68(1), pages 175-196, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:68:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s10640-017-0144-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-017-0144-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tsur, Yacov & Zemel, Amos, 1994. "Endangered Species and Natural Resource Exploitation: Extinction vs. Coexistence," Bulletins 7498, University of Minnesota, Economic Development Center.
    2. Polasky, Stephen & de Zeeuw, Aart & Wagener, Florian, 2011. "Optimal management with potential regime shifts," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 229-240, September.
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    7. Tsur, Yacov & Zemel, Amos, 1998. "Pollution control in an uncertain environment," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 967-975, June.
    8. Tsur, Yacov & Zemel, Amos, 1996. "Accounting for global warming risks: Resource management under event uncertainty," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 20(6-7), pages 1289-1305.
    9. Naevdal, Eric, 2006. "Dynamic optimisation in the presence of threshold effects when the location of the threshold is uncertain - with an application to a possible disintegration of the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 30(7), pages 1131-1158, July.
    10. Yacov Tsur & Amos Zemel, 2017. "Steady state properties of multi‐state economic models," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(2), pages 506-521, May.
    11. Yongyang Cai & Timothy M. Lenton & Thomas S. Lontzek, 2016. "Risk of multiple interacting tipping points should encourage rapid CO2 emission reduction," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(5), pages 520-525, May.
    12. Tsur, Yacov & Zemel, Amos, 2001. "The infinite horizon dynamic optimization problem revisited: A simple method to determine equilibrium states," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(3), pages 482-490, June.
    13. Yin, Runsheng & Newman, David H., 1996. "The Effect of Catastrophic Risk on Forest Investment Decisions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 186-197, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Aurland-Bredesen , Kine Josefine, 2017. "Averting catastrophes in a more complex world," Working Paper Series 06-2017, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, School of Economics and Business.
    2. Dominika Czyz & Karolina Safarzynska, 2023. "Catastrophic Damages and the Optimal Carbon Tax Under Loss Aversion," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 85(2), pages 303-340, June.
    3. Gabel Taggart, 2023. "Taking stock of systems for organizing existential and global catastrophic risks: Implications for policy," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(3), pages 489-499, June.
    4. Kine Josefine Aurland-Bredesen, 2020. "The Benefit-Cost Ratio as a Decision Criteria When Managing Catastrophes," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 77(2), pages 345-363, October.
    5. Gerard Meijden & Frederick Ploeg & Cees Withagen, 2017. "Frontiers of Climate Change Economics," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 68(1), pages 1-14, September.
    6. Encarna Esteban & Elena Calvo & Jose Albiac, 2021. "Ecosystem Shifts: Implications for Groundwater Management," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 79(3), pages 483-510, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multiple catastrophes; Intertemporal policy; Endogenous hazards; Long-run properties;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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