Abstract

This study examines the wood trade in response to China's new logging ban policy in natural forests (LBNF). Our identification is based on a triple-difference (DDD) strategy, in which the variations in the staggered policy implementation with region and time, together with the different trade responses between forest products, are jointly exploited. Our estimates show that the LBNF simulates an additional solid wood import by 15.2%, while the wood export and trade in other wood-related products were not affected.

As programs with payments for ecosystem services (PES) have become more numerous, raising the need for and also the opportunity for rigorous evidence on their contributions, we examine shifts within Costa Rica's Pagos por Servicios Ambientales (PSA) program. The PSA was heralded from its initiation, despite demonstrations of low early impacts. We study shifts in impact over time across early periods and whether further adjustments could raise contributions.

The increasing scarcity of environmental resources and competition among forest, water, food and energy coupled with the ever-growing population and climate change pose a serious threat to natural ecosystems. In an effort to provide an integrated approach towards forest conservation as well as energy, water and food security within the broader context of climate change and variability, this study sought to undertake a literature and data review to provide a critical analysis and synthesis of the baseline and trends of the forest- water-food- energy security nexus in East Africa.