NEW COURSE - Water and Energy Management in China: Market Forces and Socialist Ideology

Course Description: The decisions that the world’s fastest growing economy makes on natural resources today will shape what our whole planet looks like tomorrow. How does China allocate important natural resources as its economy grows? What are the market forces at work and how do they co-exist with socialist ideology? This class explores these questions by studying two essential natural resources for survival and development: water and energy. We will examine the relevant environmental regulations and their economic foundations. Important concepts, such as property rights, externalities, and benefit cost analysis, will be illustrated through case studies.

Course Objectives: Students will be exposed to environmental management practices in China – a historically socialist country that has been embracing a market economy. Students will learn to apply economic tools to analyze environmental policies pertaining to water and energy resources. Students will be trained to engage in scholarly research by presenting journal articles and writing scholarly papers. Specific topics include efficient pricing of natural resources, environmental federalism, restructuring of the power sector, water scarcity and water pollution, and the role of non-governmental organizations.
Contact Info:
juliana.wang@usc.edu

For more information:
http://dornsife.usc.edu/environmental-studies/