Distribution of ecological entitlements: Implications for economic security and population movement

Abstract

The concept of economic and environmental security is explored in a broad sense as a series of necessary entitlements to forest and other resources. Traditional measures of inequality—such as the GINI coefficient or the Atkinson index of inequality which rely on measures of the distribution of formal cash income or wealth—are regarded as flawed to the extent that they do not adequately reflect the value and distribution of access to non-marketed goods and services. An “ecologically-sensitive” Atkinson or GINI index is proposed as a more relevant measure of inequality and of economic and environmental security. To improve security, policies must attempt to improve the value of these indices. An empirical example is provided based on household survey data for 357 households in 24 villages in a rainforest zone of Cameroon. Analyses of data relating to forest use, incomes, and demographics provides insights into the distribution of ecological entitlements across various income groups and into the impacts of these entitlements on economic and environmental security (through measures related to population migration). The empirical analysis demonstrates a number of important conclusions: (a) use of ecologically adjusted indices provides a more complete picture of inequality-inequality in the forest zone is less pervasive than traditional measures would have us believe; (b) traditional forest entitlements contribute positively to reducing inequality and improving security; and (c) income support programs targeted to conventional cash crops (cocoa and coffee) increase inequality and reduce security. The analyses also demonstrate that, when other economic factors have been taken into account, population movement can be a useful indicator of environmental security. An analysis of migration, demographic and income patterns suggests that low population movement in this zone can be construed as an indicator of higher environmental security. The analysis also provides direct evidence that a decline in ecological entitlements increases the probability of migration out of an area.