Abstract
Policy makers around the world tout decentralization as an effective tool in the governance of natural resources. Despite the popularity of these reforms, there is limited scientific evidence on the environmental effects of decentralization, especially in tropical biomes. This study presents evidence on the institutional conditions under which decentralization is likely to be successful in sustaining forests. We draw on common-pool resource theory to argue that the environmental impact of decentralization hinges on the ability of reforms to engage local forest users in the governance of forests. Using matching techniques, we analyze longitudinal field observations on both social and biophysical characteristics in a large number of local government territories in Bolivia (a country with a decentralized forestry policy) and Peru (a country with a much more centralized forestry policy). We find that territories with a decentralized forest governance structure have more stable forest cover, but only when local forest user groups actively engage with the local government officials. We provide evidence in support of a possible causal process behind these results: When user groups engage with the decentralized units, it creates a more enabling environment for effective local governance of forests, including more local government-led forest governance activities, fora for the resolution of forest-related conflicts, intermunicipal cooperation in the forestry sector, and stronger technical capabilities of the local government staff.
Funder
NSF | BIO | Division of Environmental Biology
NSF | Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
Publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Reference70 articles.
1. Chomitz KM (2007) At Loggerheads? Agricultural Expansion, Poverty Reduction, and Environment in the Tropical Forests (World Bank Publications, Washington, DC).
2. An introduction to forest governance, people and REDD+ in Latin America: Obstacles and opportunities;Larson;Forests,2011
3. Municipal politics and forest governance: Comparative analysis of decentralization in Bolivia and Guatemala
4. Does REDD+ Threaten to Recentralize Forest Governance?
5. Accountability in decentralization: A framework with South Asian and West African cases;Agrawal;J Dev Areas,1999
Cited by
89 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献