Impact Evaluation of Conservation Initiatives

Remarkably little is known about the effectiveness and costs of tropical forest conservation policies. Brazil’s recent success in curbing Amazon forest loss, however, is most likely the result of a more effective implementation of existing and new innovative conservation initiatives. We apply spatial and non-spatial quasi-experimental evaluation techniques to study the environmental and socio-economic effects of conservation policy instruments ranging from forest law enforcement to payments for environmental services, currently, with a focus on Brazil and Peru. Where possible, we explore (1) the costs of policy implementation to arrive at cost-effectiveness estimates that can help implementers to prioritize among alternative policy options and (2) the causal mechanisms behind effective conservation.

See also:

International Workshop Evaluating Forest Conservation Initiatives