Building a Better World

A review of: The Global New Deal: Economic and Social Rights in World Politics by William Felice. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002. 204pp

Silver Bullet or Fools' Gold? A Global Review of Markets for Forest Environmental Services and Their Impact on the Poor

Market-oriented approaches to environmental management are increasingly common in all sectors of the economy. Forestry is no exception. As forestry sectors around the world open their doors to growing private sector participation, governments have been increasingly attracted to market-based instruments as a new set of tools for guiding private investment. Of the many instruments available to policy-makers, by far the most ambitious to date is the development of markets for forest environmental services, such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, watershed protection and landscape values. Markets are thought to offer an efficient mechanism for promoting and financing forest protection and sustainable forest management. However, policy-makers' enthusiasm for market development is not matched by practical understanding. Very little guidance is available on the mechanics of market evolution, or on the consequences of markets for human welfare. Unanswered questions abound. What drives market development? How should markets be established? What costs are involved? Will markets improve welfare? Will some stakeholders benefit more than others? How does performance vary between market structures? What is the role for governments? Of particular concern is the lack of knowledge related to what market creation means for poor people. The critical question is whether markets for forest environmental services can contribute to poverty reduction, while at the same time achieving efficient environmental protection. In short, do markets for forest environmental services offer a "silver bullet" for tackling economic,social and environmental problems in the forestry sector, or are they simply "fools' gold"?Drawing on ideas in New Institutional Economics and recent thinking on forests and poverty, this paper attempts to shed light on these questions through (1) the development of a conceptual framework for guiding research; and (2) the application of this framework in a global review of emerging markets for carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, watershed protection and landscape beauty. In total, 287 cases are reviewed from a range of developed and developing countries in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific

Strengthening Civil Society in Africa: the Role of Foreign Political Aid

Summary Strengthening civil society through the provision of financial resources and technical assistance is viewed by aid donors as an effective means of fostering political pluralism and consolidating fragile democracies in developing countries. Starting from the premise that donors lack a well?defined notion of civil society which obscures its conflictual nature, this article considers a range of potential problems that aid donors might encounter in relation to the process of democratic consolidation when supporting civil society organizations. It argues that since donors are not well?equipped to handle these types of interventions, they need to avoid undermining the autonomy and legitimacy of recipient organizations: their absorptive capacity is limited, only certain types of organization are able to contribute effectively to democracy promotion, and little is known about their impact. The objective of strengthening civil society may be laudable but since it is a difficult and potentially hazardous area for external intervention, donors should proceed cautiously and with modest expectations about what might be achieved. RESUME Renforcer a société civile en Afrique: le rôle de l'aide politique étrangère Chez les donateurs d'aide, le renforcement de la société civile par la fourniture de ressources financières et de l'assistance technique est censée être un moyen efficace d'encourager le pluralisme politique et de consolider les démocraties fragiles dans les pays en voie de développement. Partant du principe que les pays donateurs manquent d'idées clairement définies en ce qui concerne la société civile; et sachant qu'ils ignorent, de ce fait, son caractère oppositionnel, l'auteur réfléchit sur un éventail de problèmes auxquels les donateurs d'aide pourront éventuellement faire face au niveau des processus de consolidation démocratique, quand ils tenteront d'offrir leur appui aux organisations de la société civile. Il est proposé que, puisque les pays donateurs ne sont pas parmi les mieux équipés pour organiser les interventions de ce genre, ils doivent surtoutéviter de perturber l'autonomie et la légitimité des organisations donataires: leurs capacités d'absorption sont limitées, et seuls certains types d'organisation sont capables de contribuer efficacement à la promotion de la démocratie; qui plus est, les connaissances sur leur impact restent limitées. L'objectif du renforcement de la société civile aurait certes ses mérites; or, compte tenu du fait qu'il s'agit d'un domaine d'intervention extérieure à la fois difficile et, éventuellement, dangereux, les pays donateurs devraient emprunter un maximum de prudence et n'entretenir que de modestes attentes sur ce qu'il est possible de faire. RESUMEN El fortalecimiento de la sociedad civil en el África: el papel de la asistencia política externa Los donantes extranjeros consideran que el fortalecimiento de la sociedad civil a través de la provisión de recursos financieros y asistencia técnica es un medio efectivo para fomentar el pluralismo político y consolidar democracias frágiles en países en vías de desarrollo. Partiendo de la premisa de que los donantes caracen de una noción bien definida de sociedad civil que oscurece su naturaleza conflictiva, este artículo considera una gama de problemas potenciales que aquéllos pueden encontrar en relación al proceso de consolidación democrática cuando apoyan a organizaciones de la sociedad civil. El argumento es que si bien los donantes no están equipados para manejar este tipo de intervenciones, tampoco deben subestimar la autonomía y legitimidad de las organizaciones beneficiarias: su capacidad de absorción es limitada, sólo ciertos tipos de organización pueden contribuir efectivamente a la promoción democrática, y se sabe muy poco sobre su impacto final. El objetivo de fortalecer la sociedad civil es ciertamente laudable, pero al ser ésta un área difícil y potencialmente peligrosa para la intervención externa, los donantes deben proceder con cuidado y disminuir sus expectativas sobre lo que podría lograrse

Botswana in the Southern African Periphery : the Limits of Capitalist Transformation in a ‘Labour Reserve’

SUMMARY The article examines Botswana's development in the context of ‘constraints’ generated by its position as a small and weak economy in the Southern African region dominated by South Africa, and the relevance of this in the context of a wider world system. Limits on a national, regional and world scale are explored historically and as they have affected post?colonial policies. It is concluded that a strategy of weakening South Africa's regional domination by engaging in new ties of dependence will not release the developmental potential of Botswana, although it has led to a certain amount of economic growth. An alternative development model is suggested. RÉSUMÉ Le Botswana sur la périphérie du sud de l'Afrique : Les limites de la transformation capitaliste dans une ‘réserve de main?d'oeuvre’ L'article examine le développement du Botswana dans le contexte des ‘contraintes’ issues de sa position d'économie limitée et faible de la région du sud de l'Afrique dominée par l'Afrique du Sud, et l'importance de cet état de choses dans le contexte d'un système mondial plus vaste. Les limites sur une échelle nationale, régionale et mondiale sont examinées du point de vue historique et aussi de leur effet sur les politiques post?coloniales. L'auteur conclut en disant qu'une stratégie visant à l'affaiblissement de la domination régionale de l'Afrique du Sud en créant de nouveaux liens de dépendance ne libérera pas le potentiel de développement du Botswana, bien que cela ait amené une certaine croissance économique. L'auteur suggère un autre modèle de développement possible. RESUMEN Botswana en la periferia de Africa Meridonal: los limites de la transformación capitalista en una ‘réserva laboral’ En el artículo se examina el desarrollo de Botswana en el contexto de las ‘restricciones’ generadas por su posición como una economía pequeña y débil en la región de Africa Meridional dominada por Sudáfrica y la influencia de esto en el contexto de un sistema mundial más amplio. Se exploran, desde el punto de vista histórico, los límites a escala nacional, regional y mundial y la manera en que han afectado a las políticas posteriores a la colonia. Se concluye que una estrategia que tienda a debilitar el dominio regional sudafricano estableciendo nuevos vínculos de dependencia no liberará el potencial de desarrollo de Botswana, aunque haya conducido a determinada amplitud de desarrollo económico. Se sugiere un modelo de desarrollo alternativo

Citizens, bribery and the propensity to protest

It is widely assumed that the more one experiences corruption the more likely one is to want to protest about it. Yet empirical evidence illustrating this is thin on the ground. This paper fills that gap by focusing on the extent to which self-reported experience of bribery affects the willingness to engage in protests against corruption in Africa. We find that the more one experiences bribery the more one is likely to support anti-corruption protests. A further unexpected finding is that the personal experience of corruption also increases the willingness to rely on bribes to solve public administration problems

An experimental evaluation of the impact of a Payment for Environmental Services programme on deforestation

n/

A Policy Maker’s Guide to Designing Payments for Ecosystem Services

Over the past five years, there has been increasing interest around the globe in payment schemes for the provision of ecosystem services, such as water purification, carbon sequestration, flood control, etc. Written for an Asian Development Bank project in China, this report provides a user-friendly guide to designing payments for the provision of ecosystem services. Part I explains the different types of ecosystem services, different ways of assessing their value, and why they are traditionally under-protected by law and policy. This is followed by an analysis of when payments for services are a preferable approach to other policy instruments. Part II explains the design issues underlying payments for services. These include identification of the service as well as potential buyers and sellers, the level of service needed, payment timing, payment type, and risk allocation. Part II contains a detailed analysis of the different types of payment mechanisms, ranging from general subsidy and certification to mitigation and offset payments. Part III explores the challenges to designing a payment scheme. These include the ability to monitor service provision, secure property rights, perverse incentives, supporting institutions, and poverty alleviation

An assessment of intermediary roles in payments for ecosystem services schemes in the context of catchment management: An example from South West England

Payments for Ecosystems Services (PES) schemes are an underdeveloped component of the policy mix for catchment management in many countries. The importance of intermediaries to such schemes is acknowledged in the literature but few studies go beyond theory to evaluate practice. This paper analyses generic intermediary functions for PES. It then evaluates an innovative example from southwest England that provides illustrations, and some lessons regarding necessary capabilities and characteristics for intermediaries, and understanding of their form, functions and modalities. The ‘UpStream Thinking’ project was co-developed by a private water company and an environmental charity. The former translated effective demand from shareholders and water customers for improved raw water quality into finance, whilst the latter had capabilities for catchment-scale on-farm delivery and trusted acceptance as an intermediary. While any sector can potentially provide a PES intermediary, the value driven, not-for-profit and politically neutral voluntary sector proves to be a good fit. Such ‘boundary organisations’ are also well placed for horizontal coordination of catchment management authorities and actions