Nature's Wealth The Economics of Ecosystem Services and Poverty

Increasing pressure from economic development and population growth has resulted in the degradation of ecosystems around the world and the loss of the essential services that they provide. Understanding the linkages between ecosystem service provisioning and human well-being is crucial for the establishment of effective environmental and economic development policy. Presenting new insights into the relationship between ecosystem services and livelihoods in developing countries, this book takes up the challenge of assessing these links to demonstrate their importance in policy development. It pays special attention to innovative management opportunities that improve local livelihoods and alleviate poverty while enhancing ecosystem protection. Based on eighteen studies in more than twenty developing countries, the authors explore the role of biodiversity-, marine-, forest-, water- and land-related ecosystem services, making this an invaluable contribution to research on the role of ecosystems in supporting the livelihoods of the poor around the world.

List of contributors; Acknowledgements; 1. The economics of ecosystem services and poverty Pieter J. H. van Beukering, Elissaios Papyrakis, Jetske Bouma and Roy Brouwer; Part I. Biodiversity-related Ecosystem Services Jetske Bouma: 2. Park-people conflicts, rhino conservation and poverty alleviation in Nepal Bhim Adhikari, Duncan Knowler, Mahesh Poudyal and Wolfgang Haider; 3. Rural poverty and human-elephant conflicts in Sri Lanka Ron Janssen, L. H. P. Gunaratne, Roy Brouwer, Vithanarachchige D. N. Ayoni, Priyanga K. Premarathne and H. P. L. K. Nanayakkara; 4. Poverty, livelihoods and the conservation of nature in biodiversity hotspots around the world Jetske Bouma, K. J. Joy and Maronel Steyn; Part II. Marine-related Ecosystem Services Pieter J. H. van Beukering: 5. The role of marine protected areas in alleviating poverty in the Asia-Pacific Pieter J. H. van Beukering, Lea M. Scherl and Craig Leisher; 6. Economics of conservation for the Hon Mun Marine Protected Area in Vietnam Nam Pham Khanh and Pieter J. H. van Beukering; 7. A multi-criteria approach to equitable fishing rights allocation in South Africa's Western Cape Ron Janssen, Alison R. Joubert and Theodor J. Stewart; Part III. Forest-related Ecosystem Services Pieter J. H. van Beukering: 8. Greening the charcoal chain in Tanzania Pieter J. H. van Beukering, Sebastiaan M. Hess, Eric E. Massey, Sabina L. Di Prima, Victor G. Makundi, Kim van der Leeuw and Godius Kahyarara; 9. Payments for environmental services in the protected areas of the Philippines Sebastiaan M. Hess, Eugenia C. Bennagen, Anabeth Indab-San Gregorio, Janet A. R. Amponin and Pieter J. H. van Beukering; 10. The copper curse and forest degradation in Zambia Elissaios Papyrakis, Muyeye Chambwera, Sebastiaan M. Hess and Pieter J. H. van Beukering; 11. Institutions and forest management in the Swat region of Pakistan Gideon Kruseman and Lorenzo Pellegrini; Part IV. Water-related Ecosystem Services Roy Brouwer and Rashid Hassan: 12. Small scale water harvesting and household poverty in Northern Ethiopia Fitsum Hagos, Eyasu Yazew, Mekonnen Yohannes, Afeworki Mulugeta, Girmay Gebresamuel Abraha, Zenebe Abraha, Gideon Kruseman and Vincent Linderhof; 13. Water services, dam management and poverty in the Inner Niger Delta in Mali Pieter J. H. van Beukering, Bakary Kone and Leo Zwarts; 14. The environmental and social impacts of flood defences in rural Bangladesh A. K. Enamul Haque, Luke Brander, Roy Brouwer, Sonia Akter and Sakib Mahmud; 15. Double dividends of additional water charges in South Africa Jan H. van Heerden, Richard S. J. Tol, Reyer Gerlagh, James N. Blignant, Sebastiaan M. Hess, Mark Horridge, Margaret Mabugu, Ramos E. Mabugu and Martinus P. de Wit; Part V. Land-related Ecosystem Services Eliassaios Papyrakis and S. Mansoob Murshed: 16. Income poverty and dependence on common resources in rural India Urvashi Narain, Shreekant Gupta and Klaas van 't Veld; 17. Tenure security and ecosystem service provisioning in Kenya Jane Kabubo-Mariara, Vincent Linderhof, Gideon Kruseman and Rosemary Atieno; 18. Pastureland degradation and poverty among herders in Mongolia Sebastiaan M. Hess, Auyrzana Enkh-Amgalan, Antonius J. Dietz, Tumur Erdenechuluun, Wietze Lise and Byamba Purev; 19. Changes in welfare and the environment in rural Uganda Vincent Linderhof, Paul O. Okwi, Johannes Hoogeveen and Thomas Emwanu; Index.

Pieter J. H. van Beukering is an Associate Professor in the field of environmental economics at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) of VU University Amsterdam. Most of his research work takes place in Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Africa, with a strong focus on natural resource management, economic valuation and poverty alleviation.
Elissaios Papyrakis is a Senior Researcher in environmental economics and climate change at VU University Amsterdam, and a senior lecturer in economics at the University of East Anglia. His work involves both theoretical and empirical analysis in development and environmental economics, with a particular emphasis on the economics of climate change, sustainable development and environmental management.
Jetske Bouma is a Senior Researcher at the IVM, VU University Amsterdam. She specializes in community-based natural resource management and the conditions for collective action, and her current work focuses on conservation–development trade-offs and synergies, community co-management and effective policy design.
Roy Brouwer is Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental Economics at IVM, VU University Amsterdam and also Professor of Water Economics at the Dutch National Research Programme 'Living with Water'. He is a recipient of a National Research Flagship Fellowship Award from CSIRO, Australia, for his work on water economics.