Quantifying Equity with Messrs. Markov, Lorenz and Gini: A Case Study of Dunster, British Columbia

Abstract

Techniques for quantifying equity, which are discussed in the companion articles by the authors, "Quantifying Equity with Messrs. Markov, Lorenz and Gini: Retaining and distributing benefits in natural resource-dependent communities", and "Social network analysis, Markov Chains and input-output models: Combining tools to map and measure the circulation of currency in small economies", in this issue of JRCD, are applied by the primary author in a case study of Dunster, British Columbia, a small rural community heavily dependent on forestry revenue. The community has forestry tenure rights over a small area in the Robson Valley area of British Columbia, but as of 2011 had not yet begun logging. The application of the techniques highlight the challenges faced by small communities with limited industrial capacity in attempts to capture benefits from the extraction of natural resources. By establishing a "pre-logging" standard, the community can measure progress towards distributing the benefits of natural resource extraction equitably within the community. Keywords: equity, community forest, management, resources, benefits