A wide range of market-based and non-market-based policy instruments is available to NRM decision makers, but a number of issues about the choice and mix of policy instruments remain unresolved. For example, how can we make sure that an instrument is used in appropriate circumstances? How can we guard against instruments having perverse impacts?

One challenge is the effective integration of economic and non-economic values into NRM. Research is also needed on incentives for public goods such as the environmental values of natural resources.

There is evidence that both market-based and non-market-based instruments can be powerful in influencing behaviour change

An important area of R&D will be to determine how different policy and management responses should be used for different NRM issues in different circumstances.

 Theme objectives

• Investigate the effectiveness of different policy instruments in achieving desirable outcomes in a range of landscape and social contexts
• Develop strategies and instruments to increase affordable, sustainable solutions to NRM problems that can be applied in a wide range of NRM contexts to achieve the highest net benefits
• Develop flexible instruments that enable responsive and adaptive management of natural resources.

Focus topic

R&D under this theme will focus on:

• exploring market- and non-market-based instruments in context.

More information on this theme

A discussion of the rationale for work under this theme, and of the broad research outcomes we are seeking, is available in Making the connections, the Social and Institutional Research and Development Investment Plan 2005-10, pages 11-12.

Projects and findings

You can explore a list of projects related to this theme and read about their findings to date.