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Labor market impacts of eco-development initiatives in protected areas

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Eco-development seeks to balance economic development with biodiversity conservation, enhancing the effectiveness of protected area management. This paper examines the labor market impacts of eco-development initiatives implemented in the protected areas of the Western Ghats , India, a significant biodiversity hotspot facing intense socio-economic pressures. Our findings show that eco-development has substantially altered labor market outcomes in villages within and surrounding protected areas, resulting in a higher share of non-farm employment. This shift is marked by a reduction in year-round work and an increase in seasonal employment . These effects appear to stem from the specific types of jobs created by eco-development and the changes in land use patterns it promotes, such as a higher proportion of forested land and increased reliance on rainfed agriculture over irrigated farming . Descriptive evidence also suggests that, despite improvements in literacy, the affected villages experience lower consumption levels and higher poverty rates.

Source: Journal of Environmental Economics and Management

DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2024.103070

Authors: Anca Balietti, Sreeja Jaiswal, Daniel Schäffer

Institutions: Heidelberg University, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Technische Universität Berlin

Language: English

Topic: Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, No poverty, Life on land, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,510