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Rule of Law and Avoided Deforestation from Protected Areas

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  • Abman, Ryan

Abstract

Global efforts to protect biodiversity and slow deforestation rely heavily on the establishment of protected areas; land set aside that cannot be deforested or developed. This paper studies the macro-level relationship between rule of law and variation in avoided deforestation from protected areas. Using recent global satellite data from 2000 to 2012, I estimate the country-level avoided deforestation of protected areas established in this period via nearest-neighbor matching. I then use weighted least-squares regressions to explain country-level variation in estimated avoided deforestation as a function of a country’s governance characteristics as well as other country-level controls. Across 71 countries in this study period, protected areas were more effective in countries with higher levels of corruption control and protection of property rights, protected areas were more effective in more democratic countries, and there appears to be no relationship between political stability and avoided deforestation from protected areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Abman, Ryan, 2018. "Rule of Law and Avoided Deforestation from Protected Areas," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 282-289.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:146:y:2018:i:c:p:282-289
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.11.004
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    Cited by:

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    2. Reynaert, Mathias & Souza-Rodrigues, Eduardo & van Benthem, Arthur A., 2024. "The environmental impacts of protected area policy," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    3. Valerie Hagger & Thomas A. Worthington & Catherine E. Lovelock & Maria Fernanda Adame & Tatsuya Amano & Benjamin M. Brown & Daniel A. Friess & Emily Landis & Peter J. Mumby & Tiffany H. Morrison & Kat, 2022. "Drivers of global mangrove loss and gain in social-ecological systems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Schwartz, S. & Choumert-Nkolo, J. & Combes, J.-L. & Combes-Motel, P. & Kere, E., 2022. "Optimal protected area implementation under spillover effects," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    5. Derya Keles & Philippe Delacote & Alexander Pfaff, 2018. "What drives the withdrawal of protected areas? Evidence from the Brazilian Amazon," Working Papers 1807, Chaire Economie du climat.
    6. Bareille, François & Wolfersberger, Julien & Zavalloni, Matteo, 2023. "Institutions and conservation: The case of protected areas," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    7. Rachel A. Neugarten & Ranaivo A. Rasolofoson & Christopher B. Barrett & Ghislain Vieilledent & Amanda D. Rodewald, 2024. "The effect of a political crisis on performance of community forests and protected areas in Madagascar," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    8. Mihaylova, Iva, 2023. "Perpetuating the malign legacy of colonialism? Traditional chiefs’ power and deforestation in Sierra Leone," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    9. Nansikombi, Hellen & Fischer, Richard & Ferrer Velasco, Rubén & Lippe, Melvin & Kalaba, Felix Kanungwe & Kabwe, Gillian & Günter, Sven, 2020. "Can de facto governance influence deforestation drivers in the Zambian Miombo?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    10. Derya Keles & Philippe Delacote & Alexander Pfaff & Siyu Qin & Michael B. Mascia, 2019. "What Drives Size Reductions for Protected Areas? Evidence about PADDD from across the Brazilian Amazon," Working Papers of BETA 2019-12, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    11. Sohag, Kazi & Gainetdinova, Anna & Mariev, Oleg, 2023. "Economic growth, institutional quality and deforestation: Evidence from Russia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    12. Ruggiero, P.G.C. & Pfaff, A. & Pereda, P. & Nichols, E. & Metzger, J.P., 2022. "The Brazilian intergovernmental fiscal transfer for conservation: A successful but self-limiting incentive program," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    13. Liang Chang & Teiji Watanabe & Hanlin Xu & Jiho Han, 2022. "Knowledge Mapping on Nepal’s Protected Areas Using CiteSpace and VOSviewer," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-23, July.
    14. GOMADO, Kwamivi Mawuli, 2018. "Diversité ethnique et déforestation dans les pays en développement: identification des principaux canaux [Ethnic diversity and deforestation in developing countries: identifying the transmission ch," MPRA Paper 89380, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Salemi, Colette, 2021. "Refugee camps and deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    16. Bonilla-Mejía, Leonardo & Higuera-Mendieta, Iván, 2019. "Protected Areas under Weak Institutions: Evidence from Colombia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 585-596.
    17. Suisui Chen & Xintian Liu & Shuhong Wang & Peng Wang, 2023. "Regional Corruption, Foreign Trade, and Environmental Pollution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, January.
    18. Diaf Imene & Pierre Pech & Touati Bouzid, 2019. "What strategies make compatible the stakes of nature conservation and the stakes of economic growth in protected area? Example of El Kala National Park, Algeria," Post-Print halshs-02188250, HAL.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Deforestation; Protected areas; Corruption; Governance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • Q23 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Forestry
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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