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Abstract
In ‘Reclaiming Nature’, leading environmental thinkers from across the globe explore the relationship between human activities and the natural. This is a bold and comprehensive text of major interest to both students of the environment and professionals involved in policy-making.
In ‘Reclaiming Nature’, leading environmental thinkers from across the globe explore the relationship between human activities and the natural world. The authors draw inspiration and lessons from diverse experiences ranging from community-based fishery and forestry management to innovative strategies for combating global warming. They advance a compelling new vision of environmentalism, founded on the link between the struggle to reclaim nature and the struggle for social justice. This book advances three core propositions: first, humans can and do have positive as well as negative effects on the natural environment. By restoring degraded ecosystems and engaging in co-evolutionary processes, people can add value to nature's wealth. Second, every person has an inalienable right to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. These are not privileges to be awarded on the basis of political power, nor commodities to be allocated on the basis of purchasing power -- they are fundamental human rights. Third, low-income communities are not the root of the problem. Rather they are the heart of the solution. In cities and the countryside across the world, ordinary people are forging a vibrant new environmentalism that is rooted in the defense of their lives and livelihoods.
James K. Boyce directs the Political Economy Research Institute’s Program on Development, Peacebuilding, and the Environment.
Sunita Narain is currently director of the Centre for Science and Environment and publisher of the fortnightly magazine ‘Down to Earth’.
Elizabeth A. Stanton is a Lecturer in Economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
'A refreshing liberation from the alluring half-truths of conventional economics and public policy.' —David Bollier, Editor, ‘OntheCommons.org’ and author of ‘Silent Theft: The Private Plunder of Our Common Wealth’
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Matter\r | 1 | ||
| Half Title\r | 1 | ||
| Series Page\r | 2 | ||
| Title\r | 3 | ||
| Copyright\r | 4 | ||
| Contents\r | 5 | ||
| List of Figures and Tables\r | 7 | ||
| Acknowledgements\r | 9 | ||
| Introduction\r | 11 | ||
| Notes\r | 28 | ||
| References\r | 29 | ||
| Main Body\r | 31 | ||
| Part I: Adding Value \r | 31 | ||
| Chapter 1. The Blessing of the Commons: Small-Scale Fisheries, Community Property Rights and Coastal Natural Assets, by John Kurien\r | 33 | ||
| Introduction\r | 33 | ||
| Natural Assets of the Oceans and Seas\r | 34 | ||
| Part I: From Community Rights to Open Access\r | 37 | ||
| Part II: From Open Access to Community Rights\r | 46 | ||
| Conclusion\r | 57 | ||
| Notes\r | 60 | ||
| References\r | 60 | ||
| Chapter 2. Natural Resource Management and Poverty Alleviation in Mountain Areas, by Narpat S. Jodha\r | 65 | ||
| Introduction\r | 65 | ||
| Past and Present Approaches to Natural Resource Management\r | 69 | ||
| Lessons for Rebuilding Natural Assets\r | 74 | ||
| Recent Initiatives in Community Forest Management: A Critique\r | 85 | ||
| Conclusion\r | 92 | ||
| References\r | 94 | ||
| Chapter 3. Harvesting the Rain: Fighting Ecological Poverty Through Participatory Democracy, by Sunita Narain and Anil Agarwal\r | 99 | ||
| Introduction\r | 99 | ||
| Sukhomajri: Holistic Watershed Management\r | 100 | ||
| Ralegan Siddhi: Marshalling Government Resources\r | 106 | ||
| Alwar: Bringing Rivers Back to Life\r | 109 | ||
| Jhabua: When Governement Learns\r | 111 | ||
| Principles for Rebuilding Natural Assets \r | 113 | ||
| Conclusions\r | 116 | ||
| Note\r | 118 | ||
| References\r | 118 | ||
| Chapter 4. Net Benefits: The Ecological Restoration of Inland Fisheries in Bangladesh, by M. Mokhlesur Rahman and Stephen F. Minkin\r | 121 | ||
| Inland Fisheries in Bangladesh\r | 121 | ||
| Community-based Ecological Restoration\r | 125 | ||
| Project Benefits\r | 128 | ||
| Human Benefits\r | 130 | ||
| Bejurnala Beel\r | 132 | ||
| Conclusion\r | 133 | ||
| References\r | 134 | ||
| Part II: Democratizing Access\r | 135 | ||
| Chapter 5. Land Reform and Sustainable Development, by James K. Boyce, Peter Rosset and Elizabeth A. Stanton \r | 137 | ||
| Introduction\r | 137 | ||
| Varieties of Land Reform\r | 138 | ||
| Land Reform and the East Asian 'Miracle'\r | 140 | ||
| Land Reform from 'Below': Brazil's MST\r | 143 | ||
| Land Reform and Poverty Reduction\r | 145 | ||
| Land Reform and the Environment\r | 149 | ||
| Conclusions\r | 153 | ||
| Notes\r | 154 | ||
| References\r | 156 | ||
| Chapter 6. Extractive Reserves: Building Natural Assets in the Brazilian Amazon, by Anthony Hall\r | 161 | ||
| Introduction\r | 161 | ||
| People and Nature in Amazonia\r | 162 | ||
| The History and Struggle of Brazil's Rubber Tappers\r | 169 | ||
| Current Challenges Facing Extractive Reserves\r | 172 | ||
| Conclusion: The Future of Extractive Reserves\r | 183 | ||
| Notes\r | 185 | ||
| References\r | 186 | ||
| Chapter 7. Mining Rights and Community Rights: Poverty Amidst Wealth, by Karyn Keenan, Jose De Echave and Ken Traynor\r | 191 | ||
| Introduction\r | 191 | ||
| Mineral Assets and the Poor\r | 192 | ||
| The Impacts of Mining\r | 193 | ||
| Enhancing the Natural Assets of Mining Communities\r | 195 | ||
| Conclusions\r | 207 | ||
| Notes\r | 208 | ||
| References\r | 209 | ||
| Chapter 8. Natural Assets and Participatory Forest Management in West Africa, by Kojo Sebastian Amanor\r | 213 | ||
| Introduction\r | 213 | ||
| Forests and People in West Africa\r | 215 | ||
| Forest Management in the Colonial Era\r | 221 | ||
| Participatory Forest Management\r | 223 | ||
| Inventing Communities\r | 232 | ||
| Alternative Strategies for Building Forest Assets\r | 234 | ||
| Conclusion\r | 237 | ||
| Acknowledgements\r | 238 | ||
| Notes\r | 238 | ||
| References\r | 239 | ||
| Part III: Capturing Benefits\r | 245 | ||
| Chapter 9. Compensation for Environmental Services and Rural Communities: Lessons from the Americas, by Herman Rosa, Deborah Barry, Susan Kandel and Leopoldo Dimas\r | 247 | ||
| Introduction\r | 247 | ||
| Why Focus on Poor Communities? \r | 248 | ||
| Key Issues\r | 249 | ||
| Experiences in the Americas\r | 256 | ||
| Conclusions\r | 265 | ||
| Notes\r | 266 | ||
| References\r | 266 | ||
| Chapter 10. Certification Systems as Tools for Natural Asset Building, by Michael E. Conroy\r | 269 | ||
| Introduction\r | 269 | ||
| Emergence of 'Certification Systems'\r | 270 | ||
| Common Elements of 'Certification Systems', and Reasons for Corporate Participation\r | 271 | ||
| Certification, Asset-building and Poverty Alleviation\r | 273 | ||
| Experienced in Certified Forestry\r | 275 | ||
| Experiences with Certified Fair Trade Coffee\r | 281 | ||
| Ecotourism Certification\r | 286 | ||
| Certification of Mining Operations\r | 288 | ||
| Summary of Potential Impacts of Cerification on Poverty\r | 290 | ||
| Responses to the Challenges\r | 291 | ||
| Conclusions\r | 293 | ||
| Notes\r | 294 | ||
| References\r | 294 | ||
| Chapter 11. Wastes as Assets: Limits and Potentials, by Eugenio M. Gonzales\r | 299 | ||
| Introduction\r | 299 | ||
| Materials Conservation and the Poor\r | 300 | ||
| The Philippine Urban Context\r | 306 | ||
| Making a Living in Payatas\r | 307 | ||
| From Scavengers to Entrepeneurs\r | 310 | ||
| Recycling for Environmental Protection and Poverty Reduction\r | 313 | ||
| What Is to Be Done? \r | 314 | ||
| Notes\r | 319 | ||
| References\r | 319 | ||
| Chapter 12. Community Rights and Wildlife Stewardship: Zimbabwe's Campfire Programme, by James C. Murombedzi\r | 323 | ||
| Communal Tenure\r | 323 | ||
| CAMPFIRE: Devolution of Resource Management?\r | 325 | ||
| Wildlife Management Benefits\r | 326 | ||
| CAMPFIRE-induced Immigration\r | 327 | ||
| Employment in the Safari Industry\r | 329 | ||
| Conclusions\r | 330 | ||
| References\r | 332 | ||
| Part IV: Defending the Commons\r | 335 | ||
| Chapter 13. International Environmental Justice: Building the Natural Assets of the World's Poor, by Krista Harper and S. Ravi Rajan \r | 337 | ||
| Introduction\r | 337 | ||
| The Environment and Inequality among Countries\r | 339 | ||
| The Environment and Inequality within Countries\r | 342 | ||
| Communities are Organizing for Environmental Justice\r | 346 | ||
| Conclusions\r | 354 | ||
| Notes\r | 354 | ||
| References\r | 354 | ||
| Chapter 14. Environmental Justice: Reflections from the United States, by Manuel Pastor\r | 361 | ||
| Introduction\r | 361 | ||
| Environmental Justice in the United States Context\r | 362 | ||
| Environmental Justice and Assets\r | 373 | ||
| Lessons from the US Environmental Justice Movement\r | 379 | ||
| Notes\r | 382 | ||
| References\r | 383 | ||
| Chapter 15. Equitable Carbon Revenue Distribution Under an International Emissions Trading Regime, by Nathan E. Hultman and Daniel M. Kammen\r | 389 | ||
| Introduction\r | 389 | ||
| From Sink to Asset: Approaches to Managing Carbon Storage\r | 390 | ||
| Expected Characteristics of the International Carbon Market\r | 392 | ||
| Distribution of Carbon Revenues\r | 398 | ||
| Perspectives on the Distribution Options\r | 402 | ||
| Conclusions\r | 405 | ||
| Acknowledgements\r | 407 | ||
| Notes\r | 407 | ||
| References\r | 408 | ||
| Chapter 16. Greenhouse Justice: An Entitlement Framework for Managing the Global Atmospheric Commons, by Sunita Narain and Matthew Riddle\r | 411 | ||
| Prologue\r | 411 | ||
| Introduction\r | 412 | ||
| Stabilizing the Earth's Climate\r | 413 | ||
| Renewable Energy Technologies \r | 415 | ||
| Towards a Framework for Equitable Entitlements\r | 417 | ||
| Entitlements and the Transition to Renewables\r | 420 | ||
| Entitlements within Countries\r | 421 | ||
| Conclusion\r | 422 | ||
| Notes\r | 422 | ||
| References\r | 423 | ||
| End Matter\r | 425 | ||
| About the Contributors\r | 425 | ||
| Index\r | 431 |