Does poverty cause forest degradation? Evidence from a poor state in India

Author(s):  
Shibalal Meher
2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Doma Tshering Sherpa

This case demonstrates the utility of the 3Es (effectiveness, efficiency, and equity) in examining Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) project in Nepal. REDD+ offers results-based payments for conserving and managing forests sustainably and enhancing forest carbon stocks. This will benefit communities’ efforts to conserve forest resources and prevent deforestation; conserving integrity of forests in turn benefits the global carbon budget. This case uses the 3Es to examine one case in Nepal of distributing the REDD+ funds among local participants. Of the 3Es, equity is getting attention worldwide but there is still debate on which principle of 3Es should be given priority to achieve overall effectiveness of REDD+. This case finds that equity is a fundamental requirement to achieve the other Es (efficiency and effectiveness) in REDD+ implementation. Further, I find that distributive equity is the most important and understood in three different ways in Nepal: rights, needs, and performance. There is an argument between communities and experts on which equity should be given priority. I recommend that the issue of needs based equity vs. performance-based equity should be solved by formation of guidelines of sharing benefits at two levels. First, the benefit distribution from international sources/markets to community forest user groups should be based on the ownership of carbon and performance of communities participating in REDD+. Second, at community level, communities should decide on the form of benefit distribution according to their needs. The primacy of equity in this case will likely find international echoes in other environmental policies and in other countries.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-217
Author(s):  
Nádson Ricardo Leite de Souza ◽  
Vanessa Vasconcelos da Silva ◽  
Edson Henrique Almeida de Andrade ◽  
Valéria Raquel Porto de Lima

A Mata do Buraquinho consiste no maior remanescente de Mata Atlântica em área urbana do país, é cortada pelo Rio Jaguaribe, um dos afluentes do Rio Paraíba e maior rio urbano de João Pessoa/PB que, represado, forma o Açude do Buraquinho, de onde provém parte da água potável da capital paraibana. O local é declarado uma Área de Preservação Permanente desde 1989, devido à importância ambiental e, desde o ano de 2000, abriga o Jardim Botânico Benjamin Maranhão, que ocupa mais de 65% da área total, criado com a missão de fortalecer as ações de preservação e promover a intensificação dos estudos no representativo ambiente, todavia, a existência de trilhas em seu interior possibilita maior vulnerabilidade à degeneração ecossistêmica, somada aos efeitos de borda no contato com a densa urbanização do entorno. Com o objetivo de analisar os impactos ambientais negativos ocasionados por tais bordas, foram realizadas observações in loco, por meio de inventariações de parcelas concretizadas ao longo das trilhas mais frequentadas, onde se apurou diversos indicativos de degradação florestal. A partir disso, confirmou-se a autenticidade das teorias empregadas sobre os impactos ambientais negativos e a degeneração das espécies habituais, resultantes das ações de caráter antrópico, concluindo-se que a propagação dos efeitos de borda originada pela abertura de trilhas que favorecem o avanço da degradação e fazem-se necessárias ações de conservação mais rigorosas do que as em vigor, mesmo se tratando de uma área legalmente protegida.Palavras-chave: Efeitos de borda; Degeneração ecossistêmica; Mata do Buraquinho. ABSTRACTMata do Buraquinho is the largest remnant of Mata Atlântica in an urban area of the country. It is cut by the Jaguaribe River, - one of the tributaries of the Paraíba River and the largest urban river of João Pessoa/PB – which was dammed up forming the Açude do Buraquinho, from where comes part of the potable water of the capital of Paraíba. The place has been declared a Permanent Preservation Area since 1989. Due to its environmental importance and, since the year of 2000, it has sheltered the Benjamin Maranhão Botanical Garden, which occupies more than 65% of the total area. This garden was created with the mission of strengthening actions of preservation and to promote the intensification of studies in the representative environment. However, the existence of trails inside of it, allows greater vulnerability to the ecosystem degeneration, and combined with effects of border in the contact with the dense urbanization of the surrounding area. In order to analyze the negative environmental impacts caused by such edges, some observations were made in loco, through inventories of concretized plots along the most frequented trails, where several indications of forest degradation were obtained. From this, the authenticity of the theories used on the negative environmental impacts and the degeneration of the habitual species was confirmed. And resulting from actions of anthropic character, it was concluded that the propagation of the edge effects originated by the opening of tracks, favors the advance of the degradation and becomes necessary conservation actions more stringent than those in force, even in the case of a legally protected area. Keywords: Edge effects; Ecosystem Degeneration; Mata do Buraquinho. RESUMENLa “Mata do Buraquinho” es el testimonio más grande del bosque Atlántico en el área urbana de Brasil, es cortado por el Río Jaguaribe, uno de los tributarios del Río Paraíba, además, es el río urbano más grande de João Pessoa/PB, que forma la presa del “Buraquinho”, de donde proviene el suministro de agua potable para la capital del Estado de Paraíba. Esta zona es declarada un Área de Preservación Permanente desde 1989, debido a su importancia ambiental, y desde el año 2000, acoge el Jardín Botánico Benjamin Maranhão, que ocupa más de 65% del área total, creado con la misión de fortalecer las acciones de preservación y promover la intensificación de los estudios en el representativo de ambiente, sin embargo, la existencia de rutas en el interior aumenta la vulnerabilidad a la degeneración ecosistémica, añadidos a los efectos de borde que tienen contacto directo con la densa urbanización de los alrededores. Con el propósito de analizar los impactos ambientales negativos ocasionados por estos bordes, han sido realizadas observaciones "In loco", a través de inventariaciones de parcelas implementadas a lo largo de las rutas más frecuentadas, donde se ha detectado indicios de degradación forestal. Con eso, se ha confirmado la autenticidad de las teorías utilizadas sobre los impactos ambientales negativos y la degeneración de especies habituales, resultantes de acciones antrópicas, se concluye que la propagación de los efectos de borde originada por la apertura de rutas ha favorecido el avance de la degradación, con eso, son necesarias acciones de conservación todavía más estrictas de que las que existen, aún que ya sea un área protegida por la ley.Palabras-clave: Efectos de borde; Degeneración ecosistémica; Mata do Buraquinho.


Author(s):  
Roger R Tabalessy

Coastal areas can either meet the human needs or give great contribution to the development. However, rapid infrastrural development in Sorong, west Papua, has been followed by high demand for mangrove timber and caused mangrove forest degradation due to exploitation. This exploitation could also result from high economic value of the mangrove timber. This study was done to analyze the economic value of mangrove wood utilized by the people to support the development process in Sorong. This study used primary data obtained through interviews and the economic value calculation of mangrove forests. It found that Sorong had mangrove economic value of IDR 165,197,833, 491. Wilayah pesisir selain dapat memenuhi kebutuhan hidup manusia juga memberikan kontribusi yang besar bagi pembangunan. Cepatnya pembangunan infrastruktur di Kota Sorong diikuti pula dengan tingginya permintaan akan kayu mangrove dan menyebabkan terjadinya degradasi hutan mangrove akibat eksploitasi. Eksploitasi ini disebabkan juga akibat kayu mangrove memiliki nilai ekonomi. Penelitian yang dilakukan ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis nilai ekonomi kayu mangrove yang dimanfaatkan oleh masyarakat Kota Sorong dalam proses menunjang pembangunan. Penelitian ini menggunakkan data primer yang diperoleh melalui hasil wawancara dan perhitungan nilai ekonomi hutan mangrove. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan nilai ekonomi ekosistem hutan mangrove yang berada di Kota Sorong adalah Rp165.197.833.491.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Assela Pathirana ◽  
Frank den Heijer ◽  
Paul B Sayers

Infrastructure Asset Management (IAM) is the process by which decisions are made and resources allocated to ensure organisational or societal assets continue to deliver, as required. IAM is an evolving field. We discuss this evolution and present our perspectives on the future direction of IAM. IAM was born as a response to the poor state of maintenance of infrastructure, largely due to lack of resources, and emphasizes the need to prioritize maintenance and renewal using risk-based approaches. The demands on IAM have also continued to evolve as asset systems have become more complex, with multifunctionality, adaptative capacity and nature-based infrastructure, all issues that IAM must now consider. These challenges underpin the changing context of Water Infrastructure Asset Management (WIAM) and the opportunity for WIAM to harness new technical developments from other IAM domains. WIAM will need to continue to evolve, responding to these challenges and take advantage of these opportunities through research and application in collaboration with a relevant education and capacity development agenda.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Zhao ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Philippe Ciais ◽  
Maurizio Santoro ◽  
Oliver Cartus ◽  
...  

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Ana C. Rorato ◽  
Michelle C. A. Picoli ◽  
Judith A. Verstegen ◽  
Gilberto Camara ◽  
Francisco Gilney Silva Bezerra ◽  
...  

This study investigates the main threats related to environmental degradation that affect Amazonian Indigenous Lands (ILs). Through a cluster analysis, we group ILs according to the set of common environmental threats that occur within and outside their limits. The results show that most of the 383 ILs are affected internally by a combination of different environmental threats, namely: deforestation, forest degradation, fires, mining, croplands, pastures, and roads. However, the ILs affected by multiple and relatively severe threats are mainly located in the arc of deforestation and the Roraima state. The threats related to forest loss (deforestation, forest degradation, and fires) are more intense in the ILs’ buffer zones than within, showing that ILs effectively promote environmental preservation. In the cluster analysis, we identified seven clusters that are characterized by common environmental threats within and around their limits, and, based on these results, we have outlined four environmental policy priorities to be strengthened and applied in Amazonian ILs: protecting ILs’ buffer zones; strengthening surveillance actions, and combating illegal deforestation, forest degradation, and mining activities in ILs; preventing and fighting fires; and removing invaders from all ILs in the Amazon. In this study, we warn that the threats presented make the Indigenous peoples in the Amazon more vulnerable. To guarantee indigenous peoples’ rights, illegal actions in these territories and their surroundings must be contained, and quickly.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1131
Author(s):  
Tao Yu ◽  
Pengju Liu ◽  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Yi Ren ◽  
Jingning Yao

Detecting forest degradation from satellite observation data is of great significance in revealing the process of decreasing forest quality and giving a better understanding of regional or global carbon emissions and their feedbacks with climate changes. In this paper, a quick and applicable approach was developed for monitoring forest degradation in the Three-North Forest Shelterbelt in China from multi-scale remote sensing data. Firstly, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Ratio Vegetation Index (RVI), Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) and Net Primary Production (NPP) from remote sensing data were selected as the indicators to describe forest degradation. Then multi-scale forest degradation maps were obtained by adopting a new classification method using time series MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) images, and were validated with ground survey data. At last, the criteria and indicators for monitoring forest degradation from remote sensing data were discussed, and the uncertainly of the method was analyzed. Results of this paper indicated that multi-scale remote sensing data have great potential in detecting regional forest degradation.


Author(s):  
Yuanwei Qin ◽  
Xiangming Xiao ◽  
Jean-Pierre Wigneron ◽  
Philippe Ciais ◽  
Martin Brandt ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antti Gronow ◽  
Maria Brockhaus ◽  
Monica Di Gregorio ◽  
Aasa Karimo ◽  
Tuomas Ylä-Anttila

AbstractPolicy learning can alter the perceptions of both the seriousness and the causes of a policy problem, thus also altering the perceived need to do something about the problem. This then allows for the informed weighing of different policy options. Taking a social network perspective, we argue that the role of social influence as a driver of policy learning has been overlooked in the literature. Network research has shown that normatively laden belief change is likely to occur through complex contagion—a process in which an actor receives social reinforcement from more than one contact in its social network. We test the applicability of this idea to policy learning using node-level network regression models on a unique longitudinal policy network survey dataset concerning the Reducing Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiative in Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. We find that network connections explain policy learning in Indonesia and Vietnam, where the policy subsystems are collaborative, but not in Brazil, where the level of conflict is higher and the subsystem is more established. The results suggest that policy learning is more likely to result from social influence and complex contagion in collaborative than in conflictual settings.


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