In this dissertation, I present three methods of evaluating local populations’ interactions
with their natural environments using household-level data from Tanzania. To date, little
effort has been made to evaluate the non-market benefits of natural resources for local populations
and this dissertation makes important contributions to this budding research area.
First, I apply a travel cost model and estimate that households in Kagera, Tanzania are
willing to pay approximately $200 per year (2012 U.S. dollars) for local community forests
access, a value equal to roughly 25 percent of annual total household expenditures. Second,
using a long-term panel data set I estimate that an additional hour required to collect
firewood when a child is young translates into $475 (2010 USD) in lost earnings over 30
years, roughly 1.7 percent of income. Finally, I show evidence of significant interdependencies
between a household’s agricultural production and food consumption decisions. This
inter-dependency implies that programs aimed at environmental conservation through agricultural
intensification may have important unintended consequences on a household’s food
consumption and subsequent micronutrient levels. In sum, the results in this dissertation
indicate that households in Tanzania interact with their environments in complex ways and
receive significant non-market benefits from natural resources.