Factors determining low deforestation: the Bolivian Amazon
Kaimowitz, D.
Ambio 26(8): 537-540
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-7447 DOI: 10.2307/4314662Document Number: 525487
An analysis of determinants of low deforestation in Bolivia is presented. The main causes of low deforestation in the country are a weak domestic demand for agricultural products, which is linked with small population and low per capita income, and a poor transportation infrastructure, which is a function of Bolivia's low capacity for infrastructure investment and political factors. In these contexts, production for export contributes significantly to deforestation and is influenced by policies such as road construction, appreciated exchange rates, and subsidies for commercial agriculture, whereas factors that affect land-clearing by poor families are less relevant. The influence of political and institutional factors on deforestation deserves more attention than it has previously received in the literature.