Evaluating land reclamation plans for Northern Friesland: An interregional cost-benefit and input-output analysis

Abstract

For land outside the sea-dikes of the northern part of the province of Friesland five alternative land-reclamation plans have been made. Agricultural organizations and the Province are in favour of the larger plans because of their expected economic benefits, which mainly accrue to arable farming — wholesale and processing. Environmental organizations are against these plans because of the expected damage to the valuable natural environment of the Dutch Shallows. The plans proposed primarily serve regional interests, have large indirect economic effects, and are finally decided upon by central government. It is argued that for an economic evaluation of such projects an integrated interregional cost-benefit and input-output analysis is most adequate. Under the present Dutch administrative and financial lack of decentralization, it appears to make a great difference whether the cost-benefit analyses are made from a regional point of veiw or made from the more usual national standpoint.