Economic issues
Forests, food, and fuel in the tropics: the uneven social and ecological consequences of the emerging political economy of biofuelsBackgroundOpen access copy available |
The Social Life of Forest Carbon: Property and Politics in the Production of a New CommodityBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
The Prospects for Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) in Vietnam: A Look at Three Payment SchemesBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Willingness to Pay for Mangroves’ Coastal Protection: A Case Study in Santo Angel, Calauag, Quezon, PhilippinesBackgroundPeople recognize mangroves for providing crucial coastal protection against strong wave actions, including tsunamis and storm surges, with examples from Bangladesh, Florida, and the Philippines demonstrating their effectiveness. However, despite their importance, global mangrove extent has been decreasing, primarily due to human activities, particularly in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, land-use conversion, exploitation, and natural hazards have significantly reduced mangrove areas since the early 1900s. Open access copy available |
Could Payments for Forest Carbon Contribute to Improved Tropical Forest Management?BackgroundThis study addresses the ongoing debate over whether carbon finance can incentivize better logging practices, especially in areas where unregulated logging causes severe environmental degradation. Under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), industrialized countries finance carbon sequestration projects in developing nations to help meet their emissions reduction targets. However, this approach raises concerns that such mechanisms may let developed countries delay cutting their own fossil fuel emissions. The paper investigates whether forest carbon payments can support improved natural forest management (NFM) in tropical regions. Open access copy available |
Forests as Capital: Financial Mechanisms for Tropical Forest ConservationBackgroundDeforestation continues to accelerate despite global conservation efforts, with tropical regions driving most of the global forest loss. Current financial investment in conservation and sustainable forest management (SFM) remains far below what is needed, with estimates suggesting that funding must increase up to tenfold to effectively combat forest degradation. This article explores a broad range of financial mechanisms—including REDD+, sustainability certification, ecological compensation, community forestry, and official development assistance—that aim to position forests as economic assets to attract investment for conservation and SFM. Open access copy available |
The social and ecological costs of reforestation. Territorialization and industrialization of land use accompany forest transitions in Southeast AsiaBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Prospects for integration of carbon and biodiversity credits: an Australian case study reviewBACKGROUND:Open access copy available |
What is the contribution of forest-related income to rural livelihood strategies in the Philippines’ remaining forested landscapes?BackgroundOpen access copy available |
The Realities of Community Based Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation in Sub-Saharan AfricaBACKGROUND:Open access copy available |