The Causes of Tropical Deforestation

The rapid destruction of tropical forests is one of the mostpressing environmental problems of our time, but the internationalcommunity and national governments are unable to formulate effectivepolicy responses without a clear understanding of the causes ofdeforestation. This comprehensive and coherent account presents the'state of the art' econometric analysis of tropicaldeforestation, quantifying and examining the local and underlyingglobal causes.

The contributors are distinguished authors from developed anddeveloping countries, and are based in research institutions andinternational agencies. They provide a global view of key issues suchas population, debt, income and poverty and agricultural development.In addition, country and regional case studies are presented, focusingon the causes of deforestation in Latin America and Asia, and the roleof the tropical timber trade is subjected to particular scrutiny. Thebook offers rigorous quantitative analysis at the global, regional andcountry levels, and dispels some of the myths which surround tropicaldeforestation. It improves our understanding of the forces drivingglobal environmental degradation, and is testament to the belief thatmany, though not all, of the explanations for it lie in the workings ofnational and international economies.

This important and timely book should appeal particularly toenvironmental and resource economists, development planners, forestersand others concerned with global environmental issues. It will also beof strong interest to graduate and undergraduate students of economics,environmental science, ecology and forestry, and those followingcourses in development studies and agricultural development.