What have we learned about the economics of conservation? How can policymakers encourage conservation in low-income settings?
In this episode of VoxDevTalks, Seema Jayachandran and Ben Olken outline evidence from economic research on conservation in low- and middle-income countries, how weak governance affects efforts to reduce deforestation, and how poverty affects optimal policy for promoting conservation. In this wide-ranging discussion, Ben draws on work looking at national borders in the Amazon rainforest and decentralisation in Indonesia, while Seema explores the use of payments for ecosystem services in the fight against deforestation.
This episode is a collaboration with BREAD and IGC, who have designed a virtual PhD-level course which provides a comprehensive review of the economic questions relevant to climate change and economics of the environment.