Natural Resource Management Under Climate Change: Economic Costs, Emissions, and Social Resilience

Abstract

Natural resource management under climate change generates interdependent economic, social, and environmental impacts. However, the scientific evidence remains fragmented. This fragmentation limits the design of integrated policies capable of reducing vulnerability and preventing the degradation of natural capital. The objective of this study is to analyze recent scientific literature to assess how natural resource management in the context of climate change simultaneously influences economic stability, social resilience, and environmental sustainability. To this end, a systematic review of literature published in indexed journals on environmental economics, climate change, and natural resource management was conducted, selecting quantitative and mixed-methods studies that examine economic, social, or biophysical impacts associated with environmental degradation, extractive dependence, and adaptation and mitigation strategies. The review integrated research at macroeconomic, microeconomic, and ecological scales, organized using comparative matrices that allowed for the identification of common patterns in indicators of economic loss, emissions, natural capital depreciation, and effects on social welfare. Subsequently, a comparative analysis was conducted to detect relationships between management failures, social vulnerability, and long-term costs, as well as to identify conceptual, methodological, and geographical gaps in the literature. The results show that the degradation of natural resources under climate change produces simultaneous effects on macroeconomic stability, household income, and ecosystem resilience, increasing the costs of inaction when policies are designed sectorally. The evidence synthesized in this review indicates that dependence on extractive activities, limited productive diversification, and institutional weaknesses are frequently associated with greater economic and social vulnerability, particularly in communities dependent on natural resources. The reviewed studies also suggest that adaptation and mitigation strategies that incorporate participatory governance, social capital, and natural capital conservation may contribute to strengthening resilience. However, given the heterogeneity of methodologies, spatial scales, and indicators among the analyzed studies, these findings should be interpreted as evidence of consistent patterns rather than causal relationships. Therefore, integrated approaches that consider economic, social, and environmental dimensions represent a promising direction for sustainable natural resource management under climate change, although further empirical research is required to evaluate their effectiveness across different contexts.