RFF Press Research Articles

Biodiversity Conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean: Prioritizing Policies by Allen Blackman et al.

Reviewed by: Biodiversity Conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean: Prioritizing Policies by Allen Blackman et al. Kenneth R. Young Allen Blackman, Rebecca Epanchin-Neill, Juha Siikamäki, and Daniel Velez-Lopez Biodiversity Conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean: Prioritizing Policies. New York and Abingdon, UK: RFF Press and Taylor & Francis, 2014. xv + 162 pp. Table, illustrations, appendices, references, and index. $49.95 paper (ISBN 978-1-138-09573-1); $115.00 cloth (ISBN 978-0-415-73096-9); $24.98 electronic (ISBN 978-1-315-84843-3). Many of the world's biodiversity hotspots are located in the Caribbean and Latin America. Highlights include Earth's largest expanse of humid tropical forests in the Amazon, the highly threatened Atlantic forest in Brazil, extensive grassland and savanna environments, deserts, the insular and coral reef systems of the Caribbean, and the diverse ecological mosaics in the highlands of Mexico, and Central and South America. In addition, there is a fascinating history of human use of natural resources in the region that provides contrasts and similarities with other parts of the world. This book makes an important and unique contribution by focusing in on the implications of this biodiversity for policy making for conservation. In fact, the book's materials are presented in relationship to major types of conservation efforts, from regulatory and comanagement approaches to market-based programs, and also those meant to be implemented by respective national governments, such as reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (typically known as REDD+). The format is in the style of an exhaustive and commented outline, with every approach described and characterized, and then evaluated in terms of issues and concerns. That outline is provided in two increasingly detailed and numbered lists at the start of the book, and then repeated as organizing features within the long chapter three on policies. With this format, the listed page numbers, and additional comparative data in the appendices, it is easy to use this book as a reference. In fact, that is its highest merit, and any university or research library providing resources for biodiversity conservation or regional studies on Latin America and the Caribbean should have the book available. The other chapters are quite brief, with the first a short introduction on organization and methods (literature review, supported by targeted interviews with biodiversity specialists), the second a concise but useful overview of the ecological diversity of the region and recognized threats to its integrity, and the fourth a brief summary of the authors' recommended "lines of action." The tables in the book provide all sorts of comparative data on natural resource use, protected areas, environmental concerns, and government investments in conservation activities. The eight full-page maps would provide useful orientation to those unfamiliar with the region. The references are provided at the end of the book in relationship to the same headings and subheadings of the text, allowing for ease in tracking down the respective sources. In fact, this one book provides access to just about every biodiversity concern in the region as a whole, and in the individual countries involved. Nevertheless, there are some important [End Page 227] overlooked topics. For example, "agroforestry" is a topic in the index, but "agrobiodiversity" is not. Deforestation is discussed in several places, but the relative roles of different drivers, including for example forest degradation due to land grabbing or the production of illicit drugs, are not given much attention. In fact, I felt like the conservation efforts mentioned stressed the status quo of what is typically done by governments and nongovernmental organizations. Thus, this would not be a good source to send a student to for information on underlying inequalities or power differentials that may be behind environmental contamination or land disputes, as examples. This book is a "one stop" choice for getting access to comparative data, but is perhaps not the best choice for provoking discussions about ultimate causes. In addition, I feel that biodiversity conservation nowadays needs to be rethought in terms of its objectives, given the directional changes being forced by climate change, and the implications of co-occurring demographic and economic shifts. There are many current debates on whether ecological restoration...

Review by David Humphreys of Mineral Economics and Policy by John E Tilton and Juan Ignacio Guzmán, RFF Press, 2016. Paperback. ISBN: 978–1–138-83895-6

Review by David Humphreys of Mineral Economics and Policy by John E Tilton and Juan Ignacio Guzmán, RFF Press, 2016. Paperback. ISBN: 978–1–138-83895-6

Terence Daintith . Finders Keepers? How the Law of Capture Shaped the World Oil Industry . Washington, D.C.: RFF Press. 2010. Pp. xvii, 500. Cloth $130.00, paper $59.95.

Terence Daintith . Finders Keepers? How the Law of Capture Shaped the World Oil Industry . Washington, D.C.: RFF Press. 2010. Pp. xvii, 500. Cloth $130.00, paper $59.95.

Book review: Taming the Anarchy: Groundwater Governance in South Asia, by Tushaar Shah (RFF Press, 2008)

Tushaar Shah—a development economist and senior fellow at the International Water Management Institute, IWMI—has written an excellent and timely book (Shah 2008). In stylish and well-argued prose, he deconstructs the dominant view of irrigation and groundwater management through a close examination of their status and recent history in South Asia, and in particular in his native India. (IWMI staff continue to develop the line of research: e.g. Mukherji et al. (2009) appear to have taken some of these ideas forward for the Indo-Gangetic and the Yellow River basins.) From the hydrogeologist’s viewpoint “Taming the Anarchy” is interesting especially because Shah draws on and integrates ideas from different disciplines, but particularly the socio-economic sphere, to enlighten the debate. He proposes that the orthodox technocratic view must be leavened with an understanding of the welfare outcomes produced by groundwater irrigation and the threats to those outcomes that would be produced if the resource were to fail. He further postulates that water-sector professionals and political leaders must re-cast their view of what is feasible in managing that resource, by taking a wider view of the socio-economic factors that currently stymie most efforts to improve it. A telling example that he provides is the cooption of political leaders in hard-rock areas of India by the strong “vote bank” of the smallholder farming community, so that even where cheap electricity for pumping is fuelling the race to the bottom of these lowyielding aquifers (a race that is everywhere recognised as unsustainable), elected leaders continue to provide and to promise subsidised electricity rates for irrigation. In Shah’s view, South Asian irrigation is peculiar in that the groundwater pumping boom is driven not so much by lack of water as by lack of farmland. The increasing rural population densities push farmers to intensify production and produce high value crops, and this requires water. The advent of modern pumps and the consequent explosion in the number of small groundwater abstractions are direct results. Shah characterises the informal and uncontrolled nature of the modern irrigation economies of South Asia by the phrase “atomistic individualism”. This is contrasted with the orthodox view of national and international agencies, which assume that groundwater abstractions can be controlled by a centralised authority that formally manages water distribution rather in the way that the large-scale surface-irrigation projects of the colonial era were conceived. For Shah, “taming the anarchy” in the manner that might be envisaged by a hydrogeologist will only be possible over several decades. In the interim, he proposes that South Asia must chart an innovative course that recognises the variability in the irrigation economies that have developed in response to different hydrological settings. This is the only way to provide a framework for the exploitation of the region’s aquifers that will at least avoid the worst environmental excesses and at the same time prevent a collapse of the hundreds of millions of dependent farming livelihoods. Shah notes that “Governing an informal economy is a contradiction in terms” (p. 203), and that there is no possibility that the “atomistic” nature of South Asian irrigation will be formalised soon. He contends correctly that there is little connection between the reality of local water economies and reforms to policy and regulation borne out of the international discourse on integrated water-resources management (see, for example, the Global Water Partnership website – GWP 2008). Given the huge numbers of abstractors involved, there is no realistic way for centralised controls to be implemented and policed. Indirect management strategies must therefore be used, which impact the “environment of conduct” (e.g. electricity prices) rather than the conduct itself (water pumping). (In a recent paper on effective and accountable public authority in poor countries, the Institute of Development Studies (IDS 2010) similarly concludes that “instead of viewing informal arrangements as a major part of the governance problem, they could also be part of the solution”.) Received: 20 September 2010 /Accepted: 16 November 2010 Published online: 4 January 2011

Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Donoghue, E.M. and V.E. Sturtevant (eds.) 2008. Forest Community Connections: Implications for Research, Management, and Governance. Washington, DC: RFF Press.

Donoghue, E.M. and V.E. Sturtevant (eds.) 2008. Forest Community Connections: Implications for Research, Management, and Governance. Washington, DC: RFF Press.

Donoghue, E.M. and V.E. Sturtevant (eds.) 2008. Forest Community Connections: Implications for Research, Management, and Governance. Washington, DC: RFF Press.

Donoghue, E.M. and V.E. Sturtevant (eds.) 2008. Forest Community Connections: Implications for Research, Management, and Governance. Washington, DC: RFF Press.

Reality Check: The Nature and Performance of Voluntary Environmental Programs in the United States, Europe, and Japan. R. D. Morgenstern and W. A. Pizer, eds. 2007. RFF Press, Washington, DC. 189 pp. $80 cloth, $38.95 paperback.

Over the last twenty years, industrial groups in the United States, Japan, and Europe have developed various types of programs that promise that their member companies will voluntarily improve, for...

Environmental Protection and the Social Responsibility of Firms: Perspectives for Law, Economics, and Business. B. L. Hay, R. N. Stavins, and R. H. K. Vietor, eds. 2005. RFF Press, Washington, DC. 240 pp. $80 cloth, $39.95 paperback.

"Environmental Protection and the Social Responsibility of Firms: Perspectives for Law, Economics, and Business. B. L. Hay, R. N. Stavins, and R. H. K. Vietor, eds. 2005. RFF Press, Washington, DC. 240 pp. $80 cloth, $39.95 paperback.." Environmental Practice, 8(3), pp. 197–198

Collaborative Environmental Management: What Roles for Government? T. M. Koontz, T. A. Steelman, J. Carmin, K. S. Korfmacher, C. Moseley, and C. W. Thomas. 2004. RFF Press, Washington, DC. 200 pp. $50 cloth, $23.95 paperback.

Collaborative Environmental Management: What Roles for Government? T. M. Koontz, T. A. Steelman, J. Carmin, K. S. Korfmacher, C. Moseley, and C. W. Thomas. 2004. RFF Press, Washington, DC. 200 pp. $50 cloth, $23.95 paperback. The concepts and practices surrounding institutionalized public participation in the United States have evolved over the past six decades, resulting in increased attention toward collaboration. Koontz et al. open their book with a thorough, but succinct, review of this evolution, providing excellent context for this book's focus on the role that government plays in collaborative natural resource management. Following the introductory chapter, the authors document six case studies organized around government roles as follower, encourager, and leader in collaborative activities. This is an effective organizing principle that provides the reader with valuable insight into the direct and indirect roles that government plays in any environmental management effort. The case studies are geographically diverse and cover both land and water management projects. The cases highlighting government as follower and as leader document details of specific collaborative processes, while the two cases featuring government as an encourager place more emphasis on how to establish a collaborative process. The case studies include efforts that were largely successful, as well as those that did not achieve their goals. A summary chapter provides a solid overview, with helpful tables documenting the governmental roles of actor and institution in the case studies. The final chapter offers a thoughtful discussion about what role government might play in collaborative efforts in light of the findings from the research presented. The authors describe the limitations of the present work and provide ample ideas for future research to better understand the dynamics inherent in collaboration. They also provide citations to allow the reader to review research that is critical of the collaborative approach.

Review - Thomas Sterner (2003): Policy Instruments for Environmental and Natural Resource Management

Summary RFF Press, Washington D. C. ISBN 1-891853-12-0 As research in environmental policy has accumulated, and the number of applications of policy instruments for environmental and natural resource management has grown, so has the arsenal of different instruments available for the policy maker. This development has continued up to a point where it now becomes difficult for the individual researcher or policy maker to survey this vast field. With this in mind, there are many that have reason to be grateful for Thomas Sterner's effort in his new book, Policy Instruments for Environmental and Natural Resource Management . This book not only details the economic principles behind environmental policy, but also presents a wide range of examples of practical policy design in areas such as road transportation, industrial pollution and the management of natural resources and ecosystems. In the preface Thomas Sterner states that the book is intended for academicians, like university professors, graduate and undergraduate students, as well as analysts who advice policy makers. In particular, the book turns towards people of these categories in countries who have not to date made extensive use of market-based policy instruments. Presumably, this includes countries in the developing world and former planned economies. The book is non-technical in the sense that only a small amount of mathematical formulas are presented to not deter reader with a less solid background in maths. The book is divided into seven sections. The first part (entitled: The Need for Environmental and Natural Resource Policy) details the causes behind environmental degradation and introduces important concepts in environmental economics, such as externalities and public goods. The section also gives an outline of bioeconomics and the evolution of rights. The material is similar to other textbooks, and should be well known to the environmental economist. Part 2 (Review of Policy Instruments) presents the most important policy tools in the economists tool box, including direct regulation, taxes, tradeable permits, subsidies and property rights related instruments. This material is presented in an accessible, non-technical manner. Part 3 (Selection of Policy Instruments) concentrates on how to choose between different policy instruments, taking into account aspects such as efficiency, uncertainty, equilibrium effects, cost distribution, etc. This section should be particularly useful for analysts who advice policy makers. The information in this section is also neatly summarized in a “Policy Selection Matrix” in Chapter 18. In Parts 4, 5 and 6 the book becomes really unique and interesting for an academic audience. In these sections the author analyses a wealth of examples of policy design in areas such as road transportation, industrial pollution and the management of natural resources and ecosystems. Part 4 (Policy Instruments for Road Transportation) describes the policy experience in areas such as road pricing, fuel taxation and vehicle standards. In Part 5 (Policy Instruments for Industrial Pollution) the attention is turned to a “classic” area for environmental policy. The examples from both developed and developing countries are numerous. Policies for natural resource management is the focus of Part 6 (Policy Instruments for the Management of Natural Resources and Ecosystems), which deals with water, waste, fisheries, agriculture, forestry and ecosystems. Readers of JFE are perhaps most interested in the chapter on forestry (Chapter 30), and I would have to argue that this chapter is rather short, although that cannot be regarded as a major shortcoming of the book as a whole. However, a reader with a deeper interest in forest policy might want to complement with the book by Boyd & Hyde (1989). What then can be said about the usefulness of the book for its intended audiences? Well, for at least one of the intended audiences, analysts who advice policy makers, this book is simply indispensable. It is also very useful as a reference text for researchers who specialize in environmental policy. I would perhaps not suggest this book as a textbook for undergraduate students, partly because of its sheer size and partly because the wealth of examples diverts attention from the need for undergraduates to focus on basic economic principles. It's better suited for graduate students, but then I would supplement it with a more technical volume, such as the book by Baumol & Oates. Overall, my impression is that the main field of application of the book is as a reference text on environmental policy instruments, and it should be of particular interest for people in developing countries and former planned economies. For the forest economist interested in forest policy the forest chapter feels somewhat like an appetizer, but the book gives a good opportunity to learn about policy instruments applied to other areas that could be applicable to forest related problems. Put simply, a good source of inspiration. Goran Bostedt Deptartment of Forest Economics Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umea