Natural Resource Economics Commons^™

Testing The Baobab’S Mettle: An Evaluation Of The Sustainability And Economic Potential Of Harvesting Adansonia Digitata, Benjamin Rhodes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In light of southern Africa’s growing population and economy, as well as the increasing international market for Adansonia digitata products, it seems important to ascertain whether or not rural baobab harvesting is having an impact on the health of the trees and whether it could be improved or expanded to increase benefits to communities. This study focused on 72 trees in and around the village of Gweta, Botswana, examining local usage and harvesting practices and exploring their correlations with the health of the trees. Results suggest that baobab harvesting in its current form is detrimental to the trees’ health and …

Putting Trees Back In The Hands Of Malians: L’Association Malienne Pour La Conservation De La Faune Et De L’Environnement And The Balance Between Using And Protecting Local Forests, Cara Peterson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Products from trees provide the essential human necessities of food and shelter, as well as the means to cook and construct them with firewood and lumber. With the earth’s ever increasing population and growing industries, these needs have also risen, and forests worldwide are feeling the strain of deforestation and over usage for both commercial and household consumption. Deforestation in Africa is occurring at a smaller scale than on other continents, but this does not mean it is any less damaging to local ecosystems (Bessassen, 2009, p. 76). In fact, African forests are particularly stressed because approximately 90% of the …

L’Adoption De Bracharia Par Les Éleveurs Mahafaly : Un Étude Du Projet De Avsf Dans La Commune De Betioky, Michelle Fisher

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Le pays de Madagascar est surtout célèbre pour sa diversité biologique et sa pauvreté économique. Quatre-vingt-dix pourcent des espèces sauvages sont endémiques (Jolly, 2008) ; d’après le « Human Development Report » le plus courant, Madagascar compte 145ième parmi les 182 pays évalués (2009). Au même temps que la population humaine se multipliait rapidement et plusieurs populations des espèces menacés diminuaient, le cheptel national est reste environs 10 million bétail pendant les deux dernières décennies (World Bank, 2003 ; Rasambanarivo et al, 1994). En 2000, l’élevage extensif de ces animaux s’est atteint à 32 millions hectares, ou 55% de la …

Atravesando La Amazonía: Carreteras, Desarrollo, & El Camino Del Desastre, Olivia De Lancie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Road construction in the Amazon has greatly impacted its floral and faunal inhabitants. The opening of a new road in a previously isolated region exposes its populations to the economy for the first time, and to the possibility of enriching themselves through the extraction of their products. Unfortunately, this exchange of goods results in the aculturization of indigenous groups, and in the loss of their unique culture. The migration that the roads near indigenous communities encourages increases access to education and sources of work, but results in a nearly complete destruction of these communities’ social fiber. Economic and cultural exchanges …

Accounting For Ecosystem Flows: Setting A Standard For Australian Industries To Make Sustainable Decisions, Emily Gilbert

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explains the System of Environmental and Economic Accounting’s (SEEA) approach to environmental accounting flow systems and how this system is now being utilized in the creation of new Australian standards of accounting. The first part of the paper discusses in depth different accounting systems, primarily physical and hybrid accounting systems, as they relate to the measures set forth by the SEEA. The second part analyzes the differences between the SEEA’s gross accounting system in comparison to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) net accounting system. This includes a type of “pro-con” way of looking at which is …

Watered Down: The Intersection And Integration Of Tourism Development And Water Resource Management In Marrakech, Morocco, Alison Maassen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management In South Australia And Victoria, Rebecca Devries

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The detrimental impact from fishing on various species as well as on the overall ecosystem has increased so much over the years that the Australian fishing industry is currently in jeapordy. Scientists, fishery managers, government agencies, industry, and environmental organizations have therefore been actively developing and researching management strategies focused on finding a balance between fisheries and the ecosystem. A new holistic and promising approach, ecosystem-based fishery management, invested in ecological sustainability and the recognition of the critical interdependence between human well-being and ecological health, is currently proposed as the best solution for fishery management.

This paper will consequently investigate …

How Do Women In Prek Toal Village (Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, Cambodia) Participate In And Benefit From Ecotourism?, Amy Dowley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Abstract This study assesses how women in the floating village of Prek Toal in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, participate and benefit from the ecotourism activities in their area. The study also investigates women’s perspective on ecotourism within their community, how it affects their lives, and if they have expectations of current and future benefits or changes resulting from ecotourism. This study is conducted in the context of current studies on livelihoods in the Tonle Sap region, including the recent technical report, “Influence of Built Structures on Local Livelihoods: Case Studies of Road Development, Irrigation, and Fishing Lots,”(ADB, 2007a) identifying …

The Role Of Industrial And Traditional Fishing In Sustainable Resource Management, Aime Schwartz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For decades, the notion of ‘sustainable development’ has been a source of international contention and debate. While the meanings and implications of sustainable development are widely disputed, it is interpreted by many as an ideal that encompasses social, environmental and economic spheres while promoting the value of human rights in development. Theoretically, this approach allows for the quality of life of current and future generations to be considered in environmental decision-making and formally recognized by national and international standards, dictated primarily by wealthy industrialized governments (Adebowale et al 138). Policy-makers in developing nations continuously face the struggle to balance the …

“Sustainable Soy” In Santarém: Power Struggles For The Future Of Development, Jake Schoneker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the environmental and socio-economic effects of soy development in the city of Santarém, located in the western part of Pará state in the Brazilian Amazon. In the past decade the soybean has emerged as one of Santarém’s primary crops, largely as a result of Cargill Corporation’s construction of a fluvial port in the city that now exports one million tons of soy per year to European markets. The arrival of soy agribusiness in Santarém has transformed the agricultural scene and has had drastic impacts on both local communities and the forest. Surrounding the soy conflict are various …

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish: The Economic And Environmental Impacts Of Commercial Fishing, Jessica Glenn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fish and fisheries play an important role in the Amazon River Basin. Fishing provides jobs to people of both urban and rural communities, and fish are a major source of protein in people’s diets and a major part of the Amazon River ecosystem. In recent years commercial fishing has increased due to greater access to both domestic and international markets, and government incentives which have helped fishermen obtain better equipment and boats. The purpose of this study is to observe the Belém Ver-O-Peso fish market and interview fisherman about different aspects of commercial fishing (what species of fish were caught, …

¿Resolver La Tragedia De Las Comunas? La Experiencia De La Caleta El Quisco, Amelia Hawkins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project completed in the fall semester 2006 is concerning the current economic situation of the artisan fishermen in the V Region of Chile focusing on the experience of the caleta en El Quisco, Chile. The main investigation of this project was to get a better idea of the challenges the caleta faces to achieving sustainable development, both economic growth and environmental sustainability. The main findings of this investigation is that although the concept for the current management system with an ecosystem approach is a good first step in the direction to sustainable development, the implementation of the system contains …

Impacts Of Salt Production On Pemba, Lauren Wolchok

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The economic, social, and environmental impacts of salt production were studied on the eastern coast of Pemba Island. Solar salt production is associated with the clear cutting of mangrove forests, which are significant as soil stabilizers, animal habitats, and as an economic resource. An environmental assessment of this industry is necessary to determine whether the socio-economic gains from salt production justify the environmental costs. Interviews with owners, employees, and day laborers from 20 salt farms were conducted to assess the general sustainability of the industry. The average annual owner income was determined to be approximately 570 000 Tsh, while employees …

Fire Management In The Top End And The Kimberley, Katie Brownson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Wildfire is becoming an increasingly big problem in the Top End and Kimberley region. In the last fire season, a region the size of Victoria and Tasmania combined burned (Gardner, 2005). This tendency towards extremely intense and extensive Late dry season wildfires is having serious economic and environmental impacts. While all land use objectives depend on healthy county, many people with more economic interests in the land fail to understand the complex ecological effects of fire, and the implications of these effects on their land use goals. Aboriginal people, on the other hand, have a very good handle on the …

The Role Of Tibetan Buddhism And Culture In Sustainable Development (A Case Study Of Yubeng Village), Frazer Lanier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During a lecture by Li Bo, of CBIK (the Center for Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge a Chinese NGO), I was given a glimpse into the role that culture plays within poverty alleviation and environmental conservation. While poverty alleviation aims to develop community economies, this goal is usually seen as being in conflict with environmental conservation because it requires the use of environmental resources. This is a common misperception. According to Gou Jing’s article Gateway between Culture and Nature， “man’s touch bestows nature with culture” (Guo Jing 12). The interaction between nature and humans is the foundation for culture and the …

¿Qué Vale Más: El Agua O El Oro? Las Implicaciones De Y Reacciones Al Proyecto Minero Pascua Lama, Leni Wolf

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The mining project Pascua Lama has attracted much attention for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the location of the project is such that any type of environmental problems, whether it be contamination of the water or destruction of the masses of ice that lie in the project zone, could have detrimental affects on the entire valley and the 70,000 people who live there. However, there are many other important aspects of the project, such as the question of economic growth, the process of citizen participation in its evaluation, and the relations among the various actors involved and affected …

Coral Reef Tourism And Conservation In Bocas Del Toro: An Analysis Of Ecotourism And Its Tour Guide-Based Components, Rebecca Kayes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tourism of the coral reefs in Bocas del Toro is an important economic activity but also potentially harmful to the environment, creating an ecologically and economically unsustainable situation and doubts that the region engages in “ecotourism.” Coral reef tourism was analyzed with a specific emphasis on tours, tour guides, tourist motivations, tourist education and conservation-related activities. Research methods included participant observation in the tourism world in Bocas, interviews with guides, tourists and community members, and a tourist survey. Though local popular opinion disagrees, data collected shows tourism in Bocas does not emphasize reefs or reef conservation, a potentially catastrophic situation …