Forest dependence and poverty in the Himalayas—Differences between India and Nepal

Submitted by Ishita Datta on
EfD Authors:

In the remote Himalayan districts of Pithoragarh, India and Baitadi, Nepal, households are dependent on agriculture and forests for their livelihood. In this paper, we examine poverty–forest linkages by examining data from a survey of 652 households from these districts, who live on either side of the Mahakali River. Per capita income in Nepal is half of that in India. Yet, in the Himalayas, where households live in a similar geographic terrain, we find that households in Nepal are much better off in terms of assets and income relative to their Indian counterparts.

Experiments, Policy Design

Imperfect market, emissions trading scheme, and technology adoption: A case study of an energy-intensive sector

Submitted by Hang Yin on
EfD Authors:

It is widely accepted that the firms included in an emissions trading scheme (ETS) come mostly from oligopolistic industries. The “exclusionary manipulation” of these heterogeneous emitters can distort both output and permit markets and lead to differences in abatement technology adoption.

Energy, Policy Design, Carbon Pricing

A Global Assessment of Non-Tariff Customer Assistance Rrograms in Water Supply and Sanitation

Submitted by Eugenia Leon on

A key strategy for adapting to changing water availability and rapid urbanization is a move towards full cost recovery tariffs for water and sanitation services. Because these services are substantially underpriced in most places, this strategy implies that careful attention must be directed at programs to help the poor manage water affordability. In this paper, we systematize these “customer assistance programs” (CAPs) by defining their major elements and develop a typology that highlights the connection between CAPs and water scarcity.

Health, Policy Design, Water

The impact of protected area governance and management capacity on ecosystem function in Central America

Submitted by Eugenia Leon on

Protected areas (PAs) are a prominent approach to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services. A critical question for safeguarding these resources is how PA governance processes and management structures influence their effectiveness. We conduct an impact evaluation of 12 PAs in three Central American countries to assess how processes in management restrictions, management capacity, and decentralization affect the annual change in the satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI).

Conservation, Policy Design

Are government incentives effective for avoided deforestation in the tropical Andean forest?

Submitted by Eugenia Leon on

In order to ensure the provision of goods and services from forests, many governments have promoted less-traditional conservation initiatives such as programs of payments for ecosystem services called, more broadly, direct payments for conservation. The Socio Bosque Program (SBP) is a governmental program in Ecuador that directly provides economic incentives to rural families and local and indigenous communities who have voluntarily agreed to comply with some conservation activities. An impact evaluation method (matching) was used to assess the impact of the SBP between 2008 and 2014.

Conservation, Forestry, Policy Design

Valuing Residents’ Preferences for Improved Urban Green Space Ecosystem Services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Submitted by Eugenia Leon on

The loss of ecosystems in cities may involve high long-term economic costs and severe impacts on social, cultural, and economic values. However, it is difficult to put a number on the benefits of urban green spaces. Limited research has been conducted on people’s preference for urban green spaces in developing countries and how much they are willing to pay for these benefits. Thus, this research contributes to sustainable urbanization by considering preferences and the value that residents place on potential improvements to urban green spaces in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Conservation, Policy Design

Does Urbanization Increase Residential Energy Use? Evidence from the Chinese Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2012

Submitted by Eugenia Leon on
EfD Authors:

China’s rapid urbanization and increasing energy use are accompanied by deteriorating environmental quality. Understanding the structure of energy use is necessary to address these environmental effects. We investigate how urbanization affects residential energy use, using data from the Chinese Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2012 (CRECS 2012) to compare the energy consumption of urban and rural households and identify the factors influencing the differences.

Energy, Policy Design, Urban