IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/forpol/v111y2020ics1389934119303533.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving forest governance or messing it up? Analyzing impact of forest carbon projects on existing governance mechanisms with evidence from India

Author

Listed:
  • Aggarwal, Ashish

Abstract

This research analyses the interactions and impacts of forest carbon projects on existing governance mechanisms viz. policies, institutions and implementation structures. It critically evaluates the assumption that forest carbon projects always result in improved governance of resources. Empirical evidence from a World Bank funded project in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India suggests that these projects might conflict with existing policies and complicate property relations on the ground. These projects might be used by powerful stakeholders as a tool to scuttle the progressive policy reforms. In the case of Himachal Pradesh, state bureaucracy and local elites have used forest carbon project to thwart the progressive policy provisions of HP common land vesting and utilisation (Amendment) Act 2001 and Forest Rights Act 2006, which were enacted to recognise individual and community rights on the community and forest lands respectively. Similarly, existing institutional issues related to lack of inclusiveness, participation and transparency have been exacerbated by the availability of increased resources from the project. Project activities such as fencing and changing land use of community pastures through plantations can adversely impact local livelihoods. Hence, it is imperative to undertake a comprehensive assessment of potential risks and conflicts before implementation of such projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Aggarwal, Ashish, 2020. "Improving forest governance or messing it up? Analyzing impact of forest carbon projects on existing governance mechanisms with evidence from India," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:forpol:v:111:y:2020:i:c:s1389934119303533
    DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2019.102080
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389934119303533
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.forpol.2019.102080?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stern,Nicholas, 2007. "The Economics of Climate Change," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521700801, November.
    2. Ashish Aggarwal, 2014. "How sustainable are forestry clean development mechanism projects?—A review of the selected projects from India," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 73-91, January.
    3. Peter M. Haas, 2004. "Addressing the Global Governance Deficit," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 4(4), pages 1-15, November.
    4. Axel Michaelowa & Katharina Michaelowa, 2011. "Climate business for poverty reduction? The role of the World Bank," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 259-286, September.
    5. Sunderlin, William D. & de Sassi, Claudio & Sills, Erin O. & Duchelle, Amy E. & Larson, Anne M. & Resosudarmo, Ida Aju Pradnja & Awono, Abdon & Kweka, Demetrius Leo & Huynh, Thu Ba, 2018. "Creating an appropriate tenure foundation for REDD+: The record to date and prospects for the future," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 376-392.
    6. Khatri, Dil B. & Marquardt, Kristina & Pain, Adam & Ojha, Hemant, 2018. "Shifting regimes of management and uses of forests: What might REDD+ implementation mean for community forestry? Evidence from Nepal," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 1-10.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lokesh Chandra Dube & Sudipto Chatterjee, 2022. "Assessing livelihood impact of forest carbon projects using sustainable livelihood framework," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 27(8), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Merk, Christine & Liebe, Ulf & Meyerhoff, Jürgen & Rehdanz, Katrin, 2023. "German citizens’ preference for domestic carbon dioxide removal by afforestation is incompatible with national removal potential," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 270884, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    3. Aggarwal, Ashish & Brockington, Dan, 2020. "Reducing or creating poverty? Analyzing livelihood impacts of forest carbon projects with evidence from India," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    4. Espada, Ana Luiza Violato & Kainer, Karen A., 2024. "Decision making processes and power dynamics in timber production co-management: A comparative analysis of seven Brazilian Amazonian community-based projects," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    5. Rana, Pushpendra & Fleischman, Forrest & Ramprasad, Vijay & Lee, Kangjae, 2022. "Predicting wasteful spending in tree planting programs in Indian Himalaya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    6. Rana, Pushpendra & Miller, Daniel C., 2021. "Predicting the long-term social and ecological impacts of tree-planting programs: Evidence from northern India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lederer, Markus, 2011. "From CDM to REDD+ -- What do we know for setting up effective and legitimate carbon governance?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 1900-1907, September.
    2. Aggarwal, Ashish & Brockington, Dan, 2020. "Reducing or creating poverty? Analyzing livelihood impacts of forest carbon projects with evidence from India," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    3. Timothy Cadman & Lauren Eastwood & Federico Lopez-Casero Michaelis & Tek N. Maraseni & Jamie Pittock & Tapan Sarker, 2015. "The Political Economy of Sustainable Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15773, December.
    4. Belachew, Azmera, 2024. "Impacts of results-based financing improved cookstove intervention on households' livelihood: Evidence from Ethiopia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    5. Stéphane Hallegatte, 2008. "A Proposal for a New Prescriptive Discounting Scheme: The Intergenerational Discount Rate," Working Papers 2008.47, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    6. Strand, Jon, 2011. "Carbon offsets with endogenous environmental policy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 371-378, March.
    7. Oliver Schenker, 2013. "Exchanging Goods and Damages: The Role of Trade on the Distribution of Climate Change Costs," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 54(2), pages 261-282, February.
    8. Alejandro Lopez-Feldman, 2013. "Climate change, agriculture, and poverty: A household level analysis for rural Mexico," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 33(2), pages 1126-1139.
    9. Bikki Jaggi & Alessandra Allini & Riccardo Macchioni & Annamaria Zampella, 2018. "Do investors find carbon information useful? Evidence from Italian firms," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 50(4), pages 1031-1056, May.
    10. Steve Newbold & Charles Griffiths & Christopher C. Moore & Ann Wolverton & Elizabeth Kopits, 2010. "The "Social Cost of Carbon" Made Simple," NCEE Working Paper Series 201007, National Center for Environmental Economics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, revised Aug 2010.
    11. Richard Tol, 2011. "Regulating knowledge monopolies: the case of the IPCC," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 108(4), pages 827-839, October.
    12. Melissa Dell & Benjamin F. Jones & Benjamin A. Olken, 2014. "What Do We Learn from the Weather? The New Climate-Economy Literature," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(3), pages 740-798, September.
    13. Grüll, Georg & Taschini, Luca, 2011. "Cap-and-trade properties under different hybrid scheme designs," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 107-118, January.
    14. Sam Fankhauser & Cameron Hepburn, 2009. "Carbon markets in space and time," GRI Working Papers 3, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    15. Maxmillan Martin & Yi hyun Kang & Motasim Billah & Tasneem Siddiqui & Richard Black & Dominic Kniveton, 2017. "Climate-influenced migration in Bangladesh: The need for a policy realignment," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 35, pages 357-379, October.
    16. Dietz, Simon & Gollier, Christian & Kessler, Louise, 2018. "The climate beta," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 258-274.
    17. Stefano Bartolini & Francesco Sarracino, 2021. "Happier and Sustainable. Possibilities for a post-growth society," Department of Economics University of Siena 855, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    18. Sheng, Yu & Xu, Xinpeng, 2019. "The productivity impact of climate change: Evidence from Australia's Millennium drought," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 182-191.
    19. George Halkos & Iacovos Psarianos, 2016. "Exploring the effect of including the environment in the neoclassical growth model," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 18(3), pages 339-358, July.
    20. Mr. Jon Strand, 2007. "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Supply for the G-7 Countries, with Emphasis on Germany," IMF Working Papers 2007/299, International Monetary Fund.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:forpol:v:111:y:2020:i:c:s1389934119303533. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/forpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.