Forests and Livelihoods the social dynamics of deforestation in developing countries

The social dynamics of deforestation and of forest protection are the ongoing interactions among social actors and processes that determine the use and management of forests. Based on a vast amount of research and detailed case-studies in Brazil, Central America, Nepal and Tanzania, as well as other work dealing with wider themes and regions, the book argues that most current discussions of increased rates of deforestation and perceived accompanying environmental crises are overly simplistic. Institutional reforms and policy measures that have been undertaken in developing countries usually failed to protect either the forests or people's livelihoods. Technical solutions to deforestation are only one element in what are essentially political questions. The central issue is not how to halt deforestation but rather how to manage forest areas and natural resources in order to meet social goals on a more equitable and sustainable basis. Conventional wisdom that attributes deforestation primarily to peasant ignorance and population growth is questioned, as are other single-factor explanations such as market and policy failures.