Commodification of natural resources and forest ecosystem services: examining implications for forest protection

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
HELEN KOPNINA

SUMMARYThrough the commodification of nature, the framing of the environment as a ‘natural resource’ or ‘ecosystem service’ has become increasingly prominent in international environmental governance. The economic capture approach is promoted by international organizations such as the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). This paper will inquire as to how forest protection is related to issues of social and ecological justice, exploring whether forest exploitation based on the top-down managerial model fosters an unequitable distribution of resources. Both top-down and community-based approaches to forest protection will be critically examined and a more inclusive ethical framework to forest protection will be offered. The findings of this examination indicate the need for a renewed focus on existing examples of good practice in addressing both social and ecological need, as well as the necessity to address the less comfortable problem of where compromise appears less possible. The conclusion argues for the need to consider ecological justice as an important aspect of more socially orientated environmental justice for forest protection.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 552-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Dunlap ◽  
Sian Sullivan

This article identifies an emerging faultline in critical geography and political ecology scholarship by reviewing recent debates on three neoliberal environmental governance initiatives: Payments for Ecosystem Services, the United Nations programme for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries and carbon-biodiversity offsetting. These three approaches, we argue, are characterized by varying degrees of contextual and procedural – or superficial – difference, meanwhile exhibiting significant structural similarities that invite critique, perhaps even rejection. Specifically, we identify three largely neglected ‘social engineering’ outcomes as more foundational to Payments for Ecosystem Services, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries and carbon-biodiversity offsetting than often acknowledged, suggesting that neoliberal environmental governance approaches warrant greater critical attention for their contributions to advancing processes of colonization, state territorialization and security policy. Examining the structural accumulation strategies accompanying neoliberal environmental governance approaches, we offer the term ‘accumulation-by-alienation’ to highlight both the objective appropriations accompanying Payments for Ecosystem Services, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries and offsetting and the relational deficiencies accompanying the various commodifying instrumentalizations at the heart of these initiatives. We concur with David Harvey’s recent work proposing that understanding the iterative and consequential connections between objective/material and subjective/psychological dimensions of alienation offers ‘one vital key to unlock the door of a progressive politics for the future’. We conclude (with others) by urging critical geography and political ecology scholars to cultivate research directions that affirm more radical alternatives, rather than reinforcing a narrowing focus on how to improve Payments for Ecosystem Services, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries and offsetting in practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 1019-1037
Author(s):  
Érica Nadia Costa Sousa ◽  
Davis Pereira de Paula

A governança ambiental no Brasil tem avançado significativamente nas últimas décadas, principalmente no que concernem as políticas públicas. No contexto da descentralização do poder institucional, o município vem adquirindo papel de relevância como entidade executora das ações orientadas pela governança. No âmbito da gestão costeira, hoje há diversos meios legais que reafirmam a importância do gerenciamento do litoral em áreas densamente urbanizadas, nesse quesito, todos os níveis detêm diversos mecanismos que podem auxiliar significativamente para a gestão adequada das áreas litorais. Dessa forma, a partir das diretrizes da governança ambiental brasileira, o presente artigo tem por objetivo analisar a gestão costeira dos municípios litorâneos cearenses a partir da atuação das secretarias municipais de meio ambiente dos referentes municípios. Sendo assim, foi aplicado um questionário eletrônico direcionado aos gestores públicos de órgãos e/ou secretarias de meio ambiente. Em que foram analisados aspectos da sua estrutura técnica de implementação das políticas públicas de gestão costeira, bem como as respostas municipais de gestão com base local. Levou-se em consideração para esta análise apenas os municípios que possuem orla marítima.  Com base na estrutura que orienta a boa gestão, aqui entendida como Governança, foi possível identificar a capacidade técnica de resposta dos órgãos de meio ambiente dos municípios costeiros cearenses frente as problemáticas de gestão de suas orlas.  E sobre todas essas questões, a governança assume o papel direcionador de boas práticas para melhorar a gestão costeira.Palavras-chave: Governança. Gestão Costeira. Instituições Públicas. ABSTRACTEnvironmental governance in Brazil has advanced significantly in recent decades, especially regarding public policies. In the context of the decentralization of institutional power, the municipality has been acquiring a relevant role as an executing entity of governance-oriented actions. In the context of coastal management, today there are several legal means that reaffirm the importance of coastal management in densely urbanized areas. In this regard, all levels have several mechanisms that can significantly assist in the proper management of coastal areas. Thus, based on the guidelines of the Brazilian environmental governance, this article aims to analyze the coastal management of the coastal municipalities of Ceará from the performance of the municipal environmental secretariats of the referred municipalities. Thus, an electronic questionnaire was applied to public managers of environmental agencies and / or departments. In which aspects of its technical structure for the implementation of coastal management public policies were analyzed, as well as the municipal based management responses. For this analysis, only the municipalities with seafronts were considered. Based on the structure that guides good management, understood here as Governance, it was possible to identify the technical capacity of the environmental agencies of Ceará coastal municipalities to respond to the problems of managing their borders. And on all these issues, governance assumes the guiding role of good practice for improving coastal management.Keywords: Governance. Coastal Management. Public Institutions. RESUMENLa gobernanza ambiental en Brasil ha avanzado significativamente en las últimas décadas, especialmente con respecto a las políticas públicas. En el contexto de la descentralización del poder institucional, el municipio ha adquirido un papel relevante como entidad ejecutora de acciones orientadas a la gobernanza. En el contexto del manejo costero, hoy existen varios medios legales que reafirman la importancia del manejo costero en áreas densamente urbanizadas, en este sentido, todos los niveles tienen varios mecanismos que pueden ayudar significativamente en el manejo adecuado de las áreas costeras. Por lo tanto, con base en los lineamientos de la gobernanza ambiental brasileña, este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar el manejo costero de los municipios costeros de Ceará a partir del desempeño de las secretarías ambientales municipales de los municipios referidos. Por lo tanto, se aplicó un cuestionario electrónico a los administradores públicos de agencias y / o departamentos ambientales. En qué aspectos de su estructura técnica para la implementación de la gestión costera se analizaron las políticas públicas, así como las respuestas de gestión con base municipal. Para este análisis, solo se consideraron los municipios con zonas marítimas. Con base en la estructura que guía la buena gestión, entendida aquí como Gobernanza, fue posible identificar la capacidad técnica de las agencias ambientales de los municipios costeros de Ceará para responder a los problemas de gestión de sus fronteras. Y en todos estos temas, la gobernanza asume el papel rector de las buenas prácticas para mejorar la gestión costera.Palabras clave: Gobernanza. Manejo costero. Instituciones públicas.


2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 525-548
Author(s):  
Justine Bell-James

The ecosystem services concept is a useful tool in environmental law, as it allows nature to be considered on the same plane of comparison as proposed development. However, the concept has received significant criticism, with many critics arguing that nature should be valued for its intrinsic worth. This article synthesises the ethical objections to the ecosystem services concept, distinguishing objections to the concept itself, and objections to the commodification of nature. It considers how the concept has been used in Australian environmental law to date, drawing on examples from the coastal wetland context. It concludes that most applications have not involved commodification, and have incorporated notions of intrinsic value. It concludes with some observations for future progress in this field, considering how the ecosystem services concept can be balanced with concerns for respecting the intrinsic value of nature.


1998 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 188-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Edmonstone

Education consortia are now over 18 months old and can be seen as a “hybrid” between a top‐down resource allocation system and a bottom‐up workforce planning system. The strengths and weaknesses of the developing system are identified, as is emerging good practice in consortia operations. A model for consortia working which emphasises strategic working is proposed.


Author(s):  
Pham Viet Hai ◽  
Nguyen Dinh Hoang Long ◽  
Nguyen Thi Diem Thuy ◽  
Le Hoang Anh ◽  
Dao Nguyen Khoi

The objective of this study was to develop a set of sustainable development indicators on environmental aspects and apply them to assess the level of environmental sustainability in Phu Quy district, Binh Thuan province. The set of sustainable development indicators was built based on the screening of indicators from some previous studies, as well as developing new indicators to match the research area. The indicators were then be grouped into topics based on the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals to 2030. In terms of environment, the set of sustainable development indicators includeed 6 topics (main components), 19 indicators (sub-components), of which 6 new indicators were researched and developed for the island and sea area. The result showed that the level of environmental sustainability of the Phu Quy district was good (0.846). In addition, the results showed that the local environmental aspects attained levels of sustainability. Accordingly, main components including clean water - sanitation (MT1), habitat (MT3), natural disaster prevention (MT4) and ocean conservation - sustainable use (MT5) reached the good level of sustainability and tend to keep stable. While sustainable energy (MT2) and forest protection and development (MT6) are quite sustainable. However, the MT6 component tended to decrease that indicated the forest degradation and the impacts on environmental sustainability in Phu Quy district in the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-35
Author(s):  
Anang Susanto ◽  
M Winarni ◽  
Parwi

An effort to meet the national food need is by utilizing productive forest areas under albizia stands. Food stuff such as peanuts can grow under albizia forest stands. The purpose of this research was to know success of agroforestry system implemented to tree after initial release of contract. This study was conducted under albizia stand of state forest Magetan in East Java. Research design was used in this study was randomized block design. 5- year- old albizia stages with 0%, 25%, 50 % trimming intensity with plant spacing of   3 m x 4 m, Albizia trees that used for this comparison as many as 90 albizia trees. Results showed that soil lies under 5-year-old albizia trees still produced peanut with highest weights 129 g/m and lowest weight 117 g/m2 while highest biomass about 115.10 g and lowest biomass about 98.23 g. Application of agroforestry system under 5-year-old albizia stand is still good and intensive, creating work, improving social welfare, local community opinion change into positive perceptions for forestry development, forest protection, forest fire prevention, reducing rapid forest degradation and environmental quality conservation of forest areas.


Author(s):  
Adriano CIANI ◽  
Asta RAUPELIENE ◽  
Vilma TAMULIENE

In the world, the question of the good practice to manage of territory is a pillar of the implementations of Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030. The authors are working in collaboration with a holistic approach at the topic. In this way, the Smart Communities and Smart Territories are the new paradigms in 21th Century to solve the question of the adaptation at the Climate Change and to guarantee, for the future generation, the conservation and promotion of all potentialities of each territory and identity of areas. Until now, they have use a deductive method to analyse and show, in the framework of the Sustainable Development, the Community Led Local Development (EU Programme for CLLD) and Ecosystem Services, the need to move from an emergency management approach to pre-emptive territory management. The results of this research have produced the original and autonomous configuration of a new and innovative strategy and governance based on a model that puts in synergy the three aspects of the framework that has been given the name of Territorial Management Contracts (TMC). The TMC, appear a possible shared and democratic model that could to combine the territory risk management with solutions of development driving and sharing by the local populations. This innovative approach is strictly linked with the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 and the Europe 2020 (smart, sustainable and inclusive). The authors argue that the TMC model is now sufficiently mature to pass from the processing phase to that of the implementation that in the Payment of the Ecosystem Services (PES) finds a concrete reinforcement of the scientific analysis carried out.


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