Sustainable Land Management in the Tropics Explaining the Miracle

About this book

Bringing together case studies from Kenya, Benin, Cameroon and the Philippines, this volume provides a multidisciplinary overview of the economics of natural resource management in Tropical regions, at household and village level. By comparing a wide array of climatic and economic conditions, it examines the effect of location and access to the market - as well as the importance of national policies - have on soil and water conservation. The book not only analyzes the benefits of soil and water conservation based on econometric studies, but also assesses the costs involved. In doing so it challenges commonly held assumptions about poorer community's ability to finance such measures.

Contents

Preface; Optimistic determinism or explaining a miracle, Ton Dietz with Jan Willem Gunning, Andries Klaasse Bos and Adri Zuiderwijk; Beyond population growth: intensification and conservation in dryland small-scale agriculture: Machakos and Kitui districts, Kenya, Fred Zaal and Remco Oostendorp; Farm and household level drivers of agricultural innovation in Machakos and Kitui districts, Kenya, Remco Oostendorp and Fred Zaal; Impact of transaction costs and risks on terracing in Kenya, Samuel Mwakubo, Michael Bowen, Wilson Yabann and H.K. Maritim; The productivity of indigenous soil and water conservation in Benin, Esaie Gandonou and Kees Burger; Agricultural intensification in the Koza plain drylands, Cameroon: ongoing trends and possible futures, Wouter T. de Groot and Adri B. Zuiderwijk; Forest fringe farmers on the way to sustainability: an econometric and cost-benefit analysis, Wouter T. de Groot and Marino R. Romero; Transition as induced innovation, Kees Burger; Lessons on land management, Fred Zaal and Kees Burger; References; Index.

Customer Reviews

Biography

Dr Kees Burger is based in the Department of Development Economics at Wageningen University, The Netherlands and Dr Fred Zaal is based in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.