'Regional Political Ecology' in Theory and Practice: A Case Study from Northern Portugal

Abstract

This paper is divided into two parts. In the first, a theoretical approach to the problem of land degradation, known as regional political ecology' (Blaikie and Brookfield, 1987) is outlined, and its implications for work within the broad field of rural development geography discussed. The approach is used as a basis for analysis of the current agricultural crisis in the Serra do Alvio, a mountain range in the interior of northern Portugal, which is one of the poorest and least developed areas of the EEC. In the second part of the paper, four main problems with the approach of 'regional political ecology' are considered, both at a theoretical level, and in the context of the specific case study of the Serra do Alvao. Although the approach is seen as an important contribution to the study of both physical land degradation and declining agricultural productivity, in the light of the problems identified, it is argued that refinements must be made to enhance its usefulness as a theoretical framework for future work.