Economic issues

Forests, food, and fuel in the tropics: the uneven social and ecological consequences of the emerging political economy of biofuels

Background

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The Social Life of Forest Carbon: Property and Politics in the Production of a New Commodity

Background

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The Prospects for Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) in Vietnam: A Look at Three Payment Schemes

Background

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Willingness to Pay for Mangroves’ Coastal Protection: A Case Study in Santo Angel, Calauag, Quezon, Philippines

Background

People 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.

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Could Payments for Forest Carbon Contribute to Improved Tropical Forest Management?

Background

This 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.

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Forests as Capital: Financial Mechanisms for Tropical Forest Conservation

Background

Deforestation 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.

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The social and ecological costs of reforestation. Territorialization and industrialization of land use accompany forest transitions in Southeast Asia

Background

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Prospects for integration of carbon and biodiversity credits: an Australian case study review

BACKGROUND:

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What is the contribution of forest-related income to rural livelihood strategies in the Philippines’ remaining forested landscapes?

Background

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The Realities of Community Based Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa

BACKGROUND:

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