Book: Conservation and Environmental Management in Madagascar (6 March 2014)

Conservation and Environmental Management in Madagascar

Edited by Ivan R. Scales

Routledge – 2014 – 398 pages

Series: Earthscan Conservation and Development

Description:

Madagascar is one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet, the result of 160 million years of isolation from the African mainland. More than 80% of its species are not found anywhere else on Earth. However, this highly diverse flora and fauna is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation and the island has been classified one of the world’s highest conservation priorities.
Drawing on insights from geography, anthropology, sustainable development, political science and ecology, this book provides a comprehensive assessment of the status of conservation and environmental management in Madagascar. It describes how conservation organisations have been experimenting with new forms of protected areas, community-based resource management, ecotourism, and payments for ecosystem services. But the country must also deal with pressing human needs. The problems of poverty, development, environmental justice, natural resource use and biodiversity conservation are shown to be interlinked in complex ways. Authors address key questions, such as who are the winners and losers in attempts to conserve biodiversity? And what are the implications of new forms of conservation for rural livelihoods and environmental justice?


Content:

1. Introduction: Conservation at the Crossroads: Biological Diversity, Environmental Change and Natural Resource Use in Madagascar
Ivan R. Scales
Part 1: Madagascar’s Biological Diversity: From Deep Time to the Arrival of Humans
2. Explaining Madagascar’s Biodiversity
Jörg U. Ganzhorn, Lucienne Wilmé and Jean-Luc Mercier
3. Early Human Settlers and their Impact on Madagascar’s Landscapes
Robert E. Dewar
Part 2: Paradise Lost? The Myths, Narratives and Received Wisdoms at the Heart of Conservation Research and Policy
4. Deforestation in Madagascar: Debates over the Island’s Forest Cover and Challenges of Measuring Forest Change
William J. McConnell and Christian A. Kull
5. The Drivers of Deforestation and the Complexity of Land Use in Madagascar
Ivan R. Scales
Part 3: The Politics of Biodiversity Conservation and Environmental Management
6. A Brief History of the State and the Politics of Natural Resource use in Madagascar
Ivan R. Scales
7. The Roots, Persistence, and Character of Madagascar’s Conservation Boom
Christian A. Kull
8. The Transfer of Natural Resource Management Rights to Local Communities
Jacques Pollini, Neal Hockley, Frank Muttenzer and Bruno Ramamonjisoa
9. Conservation Politics in Madagascar: The Expansion of Protected Areas
Catherine Corson
10. The Durban Vision in practice: Experiences in the Participatory Governance of Madagascar’s New Protected Areas
Malika Virah-Sawmy, Charlie J. Gardner and Nanie A. Ratsifandrihamanana
Part 4: Making Conservation Pay? Incentive-Based Conservation, the Commodification of Madagascar’s nature and Conflicting Views of Landscape and Nature
11. Tourism, Conservation and Development in Madagascar: Moving Beyond Panaceas?
Ivan R. Scales
12. Bioprospecting a Biodiversity Hotspot: The Political Economy of Natural Products Drug Discovery for Conservation Goals in Madagascar
Benjamin D. Neimark and Laura M. Tilghman
13. Incentivising Forest Conservation: Payments for Environmental Services and Reducing Carbon Emissions from Deforestation
Laura Brimont and Cécile Bidaud
14. Contrasting Visions of Nature and Landscapes
Jeffrey C. Kaufmann
15. Conclusion: The Future of Biodiversity Conservation and Environmental Management in Madagascar: Lessons from the Past and Challenges Ahead
Ivan R. Scales


Reviews:
"The relations between society and nature in Madagascar are complex and often misunderstood. This book offers new light on this subject by exploring the social, political and economic dimensions of conservation and development challenges." – W.M. Adams, Moran Professor of Conservation and Development, University of Cambridge, UK


Source from:
http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415528771/

Read More

Publication: Managing Forests As A Renewable Asset For Present And Future Generations: Verifying Legal Compliance In Forestry In Papua New Guinea (Jan 2014)

	Managing Forests As A Renewable Asset For Present And Future Generations: Verifying Legal Compliance In Forestry In Papua New Guinea
	Author: SCHEYVENS Henry and LOPEZ-CASERO Federico
	Policy Report / Research Report | 2013/11 | Language: English
	Publisher: IGES | Copyright: IGES | Page No./Total No. of Pages: 134.

This report aims to contribute to the management of PNG’s forests as a renewable natural asset for the collective benefit of all Papua New Guineans. It argues that to achieve these ends, illegalities in the forest sector need serious attention. The report aims to (i) provide a review of the illegal logging issue in PNG, (ii) identify the potential legality risks that are associated with unverified PNG timber, (iii) set out options for mitigating these risks, and (iv) provide an update on the development and uptake of legality and sustainability standards in PNG.

The potential legality risks of unverified PNG export timber identified in this and earlier reports are associated with failures to follow the required processes in the acquisition, allocation and extension of timber rights; shortcomings in compliance with regulations and guidelines in the conduct of forestry operations and in fulfilment of project agreements; and failure to follow the prescribed processes in the authorisation of SABLs, which are now a significant source of PNG export timber.

In terms of risk mitigation strategies, buyers should avoid clearly illegal and high risk timber, such as species banned from export and logs from unauthorised or suspended operations, as well as avoid relationships with timber businesses that have been prosecuted for serious illegal activities. Timber from Forest Clearance Authorities granted under SABLs should also be avoided (unless considerable proof of legal compliance can be provided) until the Government has concluded its investigation and put in place a comprehensive response to the problems identified.

Download:	File name	Size
	IGES-PNG_Legality_03-12-2013.pdf	4.7 MB

Area:	Natural Resources and Ecosystem Services
Task:	Forest Conservation
Tag:	Policy Report
Region:	Papua New Guinea source from: http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=4809

Read More

Event: NARBO Online Training Course on Environmental Management 2nd Edition (27 Jan 2014)

NARBO Online Training Course on Environmental Management 2nd Edition

Course description

Course Title:	NARBO Online Training Course on Environmental Management 2nd Edition
Inclusive Dates:	27 January - 23 March 2014 (8 weeks)
Language:	English
Tuition:	Full tuition for the course is US$770. Study grants, covering registration and tuition fees only, for 35 participants selected from ADB member countries are available.
Application Deadline:	15 January 2014

The Network of Asian River Basins Organizations (NARBO) Online Training Course on Environmental Management 2nd Edition will enable professionals to further develop their skills in the field within the framework of river basin management (RBM). The course seeks to stimulate knowledge acquisition and capacity building to improve the implementation of strategies and decision making processes for an environmentally-oriented water management, as part of integrated water resources management or IWRM. The course takes a proactive approach and promotes the exchange of experiences among participants from a very practical point of view: from water manager to water manager.

Top

Objectives

The course:

• promotes the exchange of experiences and institutional capacity building for environmental management of water resources in Asian countries,
• updates knowledge of the fundamentals in the evaluation of water ecosystems and the pressures and impacts to human activities,
• provides knowledge oriented to the improvement of management skills to address environmental challenges and the implementation of measures to preserve and restore water-environment functionalities, and 
• contributes to the development of methodologies and planning to implement environmental management in river basins.

Top

Participants

This course is designed to meet the needs of professional public officials and technicians working in RBOs and government agencies responsible for water resources or river basin management in ADB member countries, specifically those dealing with environmental issues. Applicants from international development agencies, water user associations, NGOs and academic institutions may also apply.

Eligible participants will be water management practitioners (at least middle-management level) with a university background and good English level. The course will be delivered in English.

Top

Organizers

The course is being organized by NARBO and ADB, in partnership with the Ebro River Water Authority (Spain), CEDDET Foundation (Spain), Japan Water Agency, Centre for Sustainable Water Resources Development and Climate Change Resilience (Viet Nam).

Top

Registration

Candidates interested to join the course are encouraged to visit CEDDET’s web page (http://www.ceddet.org) to create their free account (registration). Once registered, complete the online application form for the course by 15 January 2014 to participate in the selection process. Applications are both for the course and the grants. It is required to fill in the CV with contact details and professional data, and also details of the candidate’s professional sponsor.

The selection process will start immediately after the application deadline and up to 35 participants will be selected to participate in the online course with an ADB grant, covering registration and tuition fees only. All candidates will be informed the result of the selection process during the week before the course starts on 27 January 2014.

more information: http://www.adb.org/news/events/narbo-online-training-course-environmental-management-2nd-edition

Read More

Vietnam News: Environmental management through economic instruments (1 Jan 2014)

Environmental management through economic instruments

Law on Environmental Protection and bylaw documents were institutionalized in the views on the application of Economic Instruments (EIs) in environmental management, in particular, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s Official Section of Communist Party issued Resolution No. 27/NQ-BCSDBTNMT on strengthening the economization policy of natural resources and environment sector. Thereby, in terms of management, EIs can be divided into two groups: EIs in pollution management and biodiversity conservation.

Application of EIs in environmental management is the right approach to curb pollution and environmental degradation in Vietnam. Currently, a number of EIs have been deployed at different scales, initially, EIs has a positive impact in curbing pollution and environmental degradation. However, the process of deploying these instruments has faced many difficulties; there are many EIs which have not been applied, especially in areas such as biodiversity conservation.

The EIs in pollution management

Currently in Vietnam, taxes/fees imposed on pollution unit discarded into the environment is being applied in the form of fees for environmental protection (EP) for wastewater, solid waste and mineral extraction.

Environmental protection fee for wastewater is first defined in Decree 67/2003/ND-CP dated 13/6/2003. However, after years of implementation, environmental protection fee for wastewater still exists many problems. The agency also faced difficulties in fee collection and calculation. Businesses still find the way to evade and owe fees. As a result, the fee collection rate of industrial wastewater is low.

Environmental protection fees for common solid waste and hazardous solid waste is regulated in Decree 174/2007/ND-CP dated 29/11/2007. However, revenues from these fees are not enough to offset the cost of collection and treatment of solid waste.

Environmental protection fees for mineral extraction is implemented under Decree No. 63/2008/ND-CP of the Government dated 05.13.2008. However, the fee collection still faces many difficulties because fee payers do not voluntarily perform such obligations. There still exists the situation that businesses enumerate the lower amount of mineral extraction compared to reality to reduce fees payable.

In addition to three types of fees included in Pigouvan tax/fee group which was mentioned above, there is Law on Environmental Protection Tax. This is tax regulation charged on raw materials/products, including 8 groups of products: Oil, coal, cleaning solvents containing HCFC, plastic bags and restricted-use group such as: plant protection drugs, herbicides, termiticides and warehouse disinfectants.

The pros of applying environmental protection taxes for materials/products are easy to calculate and apply. Regarding the cons, this type of tax only encourages pollution but not encourage the investment in pollution treatment in product manufacturing process. For the kind of luxury goods, this tax is more effective in curbing pollution (through curbing consumption/production) but for the essential commodities, this tax has little effect on reducing pollution.

The EIs in biodiversity conservation

Compared to the EIs in pollution management, the EIs in biodiversity conservation has not been widely applied in Vietnam, including taxes for natural resource, environmental services and environmental label some forestry and fishery products.

Currently a number of EIs in biodiversity conservation is being studied and applied such as: Development rights, which can be exchanged or traded, are the rights given to the owner of the land in the area of biodiversity conservation. These rights can be sold to investors who intend to invest in development projects in other lands; however, according to regulations of law, a certain number of conservation licenses are required to have the right to implement investment activities. As a result, investors should acquire this license from those who carry out conservation activities.

Besides, there is also Green development mechanism, a form which is studied and proposed by international scientists. Green development mechanism will create a exchange market for the quotas of economic development activities affecting biodiversity. Accordingly, there will be a number of certain quotas of development activities which are determined for a regional or global area. If a country wants to develop the economy exceeding this quota, it must buy the rights from other nations.

source from:

http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=131075&Code=PBPY131075

Read More

Second International Conference: Second International Conference on Water Resources and Environmental Management (ICWRE 2013) (12-14 Feb 2013)

Second International Conference on Water Resources and Environmental Management (ICWRE 2013)

This conference will convene around the theme “Water, Food, Energy Security and Climate Change,” and discussions will be organized around sub-themes including: water for sustainable future; global water security; water supply and sanitation; integrated water resources management (IWRM); and environment, water and health. The conference is being organized by Global Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (GIWEH), based in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Mohamadia School for Engineers, Rabat, Morocco, in partnership with UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education. It is convening in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), among others.  

dates:12-14 February 2013  location:Marrakesh (Marrakech), Morocco  contact:Amira Laribi  phone: +41 (0) 22 733 75 11  fax:+41 (0) 22 740 00 11  e-mail:amira.laribi@icwre.com www:http://www.icwre.com/index.php

For more information: 
http://climate-l.iisd.org/events/second-international-conference-on-water-resources-and-environmental-management-icwre-2013/

Read More