Disaster and Environmental Economics

Abstract

The Great East Japan Earthquake brought the need for changes to daily life and also to socio-economic systems. Environmental economics is, in my opinion, required to contribute to promoting those changes, paying attention to the following three points: (1) securing stability and safety in an abnormal non-stationary state (living an extraordinary life as a result of the disaster), (2) extrication from the abnormal non-stationary state and leading the economy to a stationary state (living an ordinary life), hopefully to a state of sustainable development, and (3) reflecting, from the viewpoint of an abnormal stationary state, on what problems we have in systems that function in a stationary state. To respond successfully to this requirement, environmental economists have to cooperate with one another and integrate their research, overcoming difficulties that may arise from differences in ideology, standpoints, and methodology. Without such efforts, environmental economics will be unable to contribute to the process of restoration after the Great East Japan Earthquake.