Policy Briefs / Dossiers de politique
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Item Are forests always a "Good Thing"? : understanding the linkages among forests, watersheds and agriculture in the Western Ghats of India(SANDEE, Kathmandu, NP, 2008) Lele, Sharadchandra; Bellamy, RufusThe study underlines the complex relationship between habitat conservation and agriculture, and highlights the need for environmental policy that takes into account social and economic impacts of decisions. The research examined water availability and its affect on crop choice and productivity, which in turn affects the economic welfare of local people. The study site areas of natural forests have been transformed into monoculture tree plantations, grasslands, and coffee, tea and rubber plantations. For a certain type of irrigation system, an increase in forest cover can reduce the amount of water available for agriculture.Item Assessing different approaches to forest management in Viet Nam(IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA, 2000) Bellamy, R.Item Can tourism be a vehicle for conservation? : an investigation from the mangrove forests of the Indian Sundarbans(SANDEE, Kathmandu, NP, 2007) Guha, lndrila; Ghosh, Santadas; Bellamy, RufusThe Sundarban National Park is among five Natural World Heritage Sites in India and part of the world's largest mangrove eco-system. The remote island communities that surround the Park are dependent on it for fishing, honey and prawn fry collection, timber and fuelwood and have few alternate livelihood options. In recent years, eco-tourism has gained momentum. In 2006-07, the Park saw 75,000 visitors, an 28% increase over the previous year. Thus, it is important to understand whether tourism is augmenting local people's livelihood and reducing their forest dependence. A SANDEE study asks these questions and also assesses the potential of eco-tourism to contribute to conservation.Item Capturing the 'market' for recreation : estimating entry charges for the Margalla Hills National Park in Pakistan(SANDEE, Kathmandu, NP, 2004) Khan, HimayatullahThe study reveals that the benefits from the park to consumers or consumer surplus, amounts to a significant Rs. 23 million per year. Based on simulated demand for park services, the study recommends an entrance fee of Rs. 20 per visitor. Implementing such a fee would generate annual revenues to the extent of approximately Rs. 11 million to the Government of Pakistan. This is a sizable sum, since it equals 4 percent of Pakistan’s budget allocated to the environment sector. For natural systems and Government managers perpetually strapped for funds, this valuation exercise provides important lessons that go beyond the MHNP itself.Item Do community forestry funds target the poor? : a study from Nepal(SANDEE, Kathmandu, NP, 2008) Pokharel, Ridish K.; Bellamy, RufusFunds generated through community forestry offer crucial and significant resources for rural development. A new SANDEE study examines forestry funds in 100 communities in three districts in Nepal to assess how large they are, how they are utilized, and whether they target the poor.Item Evaluation of management strategies of recreational use of mangrove forest in Mexico(Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Economics Program (LACEEP), Turrialba CR, 2008) Sanjurjo Rivera, EnriqueThe project looked at the case of a tourist boat ride on the coast of Nayarit (Mexico), which involves mangrove forests where crocodile watching is an important feature. The policy brief analyzes the case in terms of environmental economics, management strategies, market access and regulation, and policy outcomes.Item Existence value : a cross - cultural comparison(EEPSEA, Singapore, SG, 2001) IDRC. Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia, Economy and Environment Program for Southeast AsiaItem Financial and economic feasibility of sugar cane production in northern La Paz(Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Economics Program (LACEEP), Turrialba, CR, 2009) Malky H., Alfonso; Ledezma C., Juan CarlosThis sugar cane investment could yield a positive net present value of US$ 12.1 million. However, the sum is a valid projection only if the following conditions are met: i) the agricultural production system is community based; ii) substitution of traditional crops occurs; iii) no additional sugar mills are installed after the first one; iv) land tenure rights are respected; v) the project does not attract new settlers to the region; and vi) the Bolivian government maintains its position against bio-fuels. If the conditions do not hold, the sugar cane project will increase deforestation and generate losses of at least $U.S. 13.6 million to the Bolivian economyItem From slash-and-burn to sustainability : a study from the Chittagong Hill tracts of Bangladesh(SANDEE, Kathmandu, NP, 2007) Monayem, M.A.; Fakhrul Islam, S.M.; Bellamy, RufusIn Bangladesh many rural hill communities are in trouble because their traditional ‘slash and burn’ agriculture is becoming increasingly unsustainable. Farmers in these communities have to farm more intensively and this is causing a whole host of environmental and social problems. This challenge is not limited to this region, but is being experienced by traditional farmers across the developing world. To help find a solution to this crucial problem, a new SANDEE study looks at the economic and social feasibility of replacing shifting cultivation in the hill district of Khagrachari with settled agriculture and new soil conservation techniques based around orchard growing.Item Fruit of the loam : the benefits of soil conservation in Vietnam(EEPSEA, Singapore, SG, 2001) IDRC. Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia, Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia; Tran Dinh ThaoItem Fuel for the clean energy debate : a study of fuelwood collection and purchase in rural India(SANDEE, Kathmandu, NP, 2008) Mishra, Arabinda; Bellamy, RufusIn many parts of rural India the use of wood for fuel is the cause of significant environmental and health problems. Efforts to help people switch to cleaner fuels have not been effective and fuelwood use remains high in the countryside. To help find a solution to this challenge, a new SANDEE study from the districts of Orissa has looked at the factors that influence fuelwood use amongst village people. It finds that people are more likely to switch from collecting to purchasing fuel wood as they become better off. However, it also finds that when households reach a certain level of affluence they may switch back to using local labour to collect fuelwood for them.Item Getting the incentives right : Sri Lankan forest conservation(EEPSEA, Singapore, SG, 1999) IDRC. Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia, Economy and Environment Program for Southeast AsiaItem Indonesian fires and haze of 1997 : the economic toll(EEPSEA, Singapore, SG, 1998) IDRC. Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia, Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia; World Wide Fund for NatureItem Industrial pollution : can the news media influence change?(SANDEE, Kathmandu, NP, 2005)India has some of the best environmental regulations in the world. Yet, pollution abounds and environmental degradation has almost become the norm. Formal regulatory institutions in India, as in many developing countries, are plagued with inefficiencies that make implementation of regulatory policies very difficult. In such a situation, it is small wonder that NGOs, the press and other civil society organizations have taken on the role of pollution vigilantes. However, does such nongovernmental informal pressure work? Can the media, particularly the vernacular press, act as a means of informal regulation in pollution control? A recent SANDEE study in India examines the impact of press coverage on pollution and concludes that informal regulations can have an impact on pollution.Item Is coal king? : an environmental and economic assessment from South Kalimantan; summary(EEPSEA, IDRC Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia, Singapore, SG, 2007) IDRC Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia. EEPSEAThis paper summarizes a report on the environmental and economic effects of coal production in South Kalimantan province, Indonesia. It finds that the mining sector is a significant part of provincial economic output that disproportionately benefits the well-off, and has unacceptable environmental impacts. Strip mining is the most common method used in the industry. The paper reviews the effects that better policies and strategies of regulation could have on coal mining.Item Local impact of international policy : changing times for Sri Lanka's potato farmers(EEPSEA, Singapore, SG, 1999) IDRC. Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia, Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia; Weerahewa, J.Item Managing Vietnam's forests : what do local communities think?(EEPSEA, Singapore, SG, 2001) IDRC. Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia, Economy and Environment Program for Southeast AsiaItem Park for the people, not for the powerful : the case for protecting Cambodia's Ream National Park(EEPSEA, Singapore, SG, 2001) IDRC. Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia, Economy and Environment Program for Southeast AsiaReam National Park covers 34,000 hectares of diverse landscapes that include the Prek Toek Sap estuary, low-lying mountains, miles of mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs and parts of two islands. It is the scene of a daily struggle between conflicting interests of park authorities, local communities, and commercial fishermen and loggers. Many policymakers surmise that the villagers of Ream are too uneducated to grasp the concepts of costs and benefits. The 3-page paper reviews pathways to conservation or destruction, including an environmental economics assessment of benefits (who gains?).Item Pesticide exposure : a growing problem for Nepal's farmers(SANDEE, Kathmandu, NP, 2008) Atreya, Kishor; Bellamy, RufusVegetable farming is an important income generating activity in parts of rural Nepal. However, vegetable farming is pesticide intensive and pesticide exposure is beginning to emerge as a problem. A SANDEE study examines the impacts of pesticide use on vegetable farmers in the mid-hills area of Nepal, some 40km east of Kathmandu. The study finds that farmers and their families face medical bills and other costs as they attempt to deal with the problem of pesticide exposure. Farmers spray their vegetables approximately two times per month. The resulting pesticide exposure costs NPR 1,105,782 (US $ 15,797) per year.Item Pesticides and productivity : a study of vegetable farming in Nepal(SANDEE, Kathmandu, NP, 2009) Kumar Jha, Ratna; Regmi, Adhrit; Bellamy, RufusIn Nepal, agriculture is commercializing day by day and levels of agro-chemical use are growing. This is beginning to raise concerns about the health and environmental impacts of farm chemicals such as pesticides. Thus, a useful question to ask is how and to what extent pesticides help Nepali farmers increase their yields and profitability.