Can environmental services improve local livelihoods? Forestry, ID21, 2005

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Tropical forests are disappearing fast, while the number of people depending on them grows steadily. Tropical forests provide many environmental services, such as cleaning water. Payment for environmental services that retain or revive tropical forests while contributing to local livelihoods is being explored as a practical approach to conservation. However, this approach raises questions of who owns what, who must buy, who can sell, and how markets work.

Tropical forests are essential to environmental and human health. Despite this, forests are cut down because forested land is less valuable than timber and agricultural land. Environmental services are often seen as public goods, so no financial value is attached and they are taken for granted. However, as they become degraded and users are affected, those users may be willing to pay for them.

In this issue :

How to make money from forest products

How forest markets can benefit poor people

Policies that benefit forests and people

The future of forests in Namibia

Forestry can help reduce poverty