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A Nested Land Uses–Landscapes–Livelihoods Approach to Assess the Real Costs of Land-Use Transitions: Insights from Southeast Asia

Author

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  • Guillaume Lestrelin

    (CIRAD, UMR TETIS, F-34398 Montpellier, France
    TETIS, Univ Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, IRSTEA, F-34000 Montpellier, France)

  • Jean-Christophe Castella

    (IRD, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and CIRAD, UR AIDA, Avenue Agropolis, F-34398 Montpellier, France)

  • Qiaohong Li

    (Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory forWild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China)

  • Thoumthone Vongvisouk

    (Faculty of Forest Science, The National University of Laos, Vientiane 0100, Lao People’s Democratic Republic)

  • Nguyen Dinh Tien

    (Faculty of Development Economics, University of Economics and Business, Vietnam National University, 144 Xuan Thuy Road, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam)

  • Ole Mertz

    (Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1165 Copenhagen, Denmark)

Abstract

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is viewed as an effective way to mitigate climate change by compensating stewards of forested areas for minimizing forestland conversion and protecting forest services. Opportunity costs assess the cost of foregone opportunity when preserving the forest instead of investing in an alternative activity or resource use. This paper questions the calculation method of opportunity costs using averaged economic benefits and co-benefits of different land-use transitions. We propose a nested approach to land-use transitions at the interface between landscapes and livelihoods and assessing a wide range of potential socio-ecological costs and benefits. Combining household surveys and focus groups with participatory mapping, we applied the approach in villages of Laos, Vietnam and China positioned along a broad transition trajectory from subsistence shifting cultivation to intensive commercial agriculture. By looking beyond the economics of land use, we highlight important linkages between land-use changes and livelihood differentiation, vulnerability and inequalities. Our results show the importance of addressing the impacts of land-use transitions on a wide range of potential ecological and socioeconomic costs and benefits at multiple levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Guillaume Lestrelin & Jean-Christophe Castella & Qiaohong Li & Thoumthone Vongvisouk & Nguyen Dinh Tien & Ole Mertz, 2019. "A Nested Land Uses–Landscapes–Livelihoods Approach to Assess the Real Costs of Land-Use Transitions: Insights from Southeast Asia," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-20, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:8:y:2019:i:1:p:11-:d:195450
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Delacote, Philippe & Palmer, Charles & Bakkegaard, Riyong Kim & Thorsen, Bo Jellesmark, 2014. "Unveiling information on opportunity costs in REDD: Who obtains the surplus when policy objectives differ?," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 508-527.
    2. Pasgaard, M. & Sun, Z. & Müller, D. & Mertz, O., 2016. "Challenges and opportunities for REDD+: A reality check from perspectives of effectiveness, efficiency and equity," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 161-169.
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    4. Yang, Hongqiang & Li, Xi, 2018. "Potential variation in opportunity cost estimates for REDD+ and its causes," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 138-146.
    5. Fischer, Richard & Hargita, Yvonne & Günter, Sven, 2016. "Insights from the ground level? A content analysis review of multi-national REDD+ studies since 2010," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 47-58.
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    9. Ickowitz, Amy & Sills, Erin & de Sassi, Claudio, 2017. "Estimating Smallholder Opportunity Costs of REDD+: A Pantropical Analysis from Households to Carbon and Back," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 15-26.
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    11. Robin Matthews & Meine Noordwijk & Eric Lambin & Patrick Meyfroidt & Joyeeta Gupta & Louis Verchot & Kristell Hergoualc’h & Edzo Veldkamp, 2014. "Implementing REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation): evidence on governance, evaluation and impacts from the REDD-ALERT project," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 907-925, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Zhihui & Ghazali, Samane & Miceikienė, Astrida & Zejak, Dejan & Choobchian, Shahla & Pietrzykowski, Marcin & Azadi, Hossein, 2023. "Socio-economic impacts of agricultural land conversion: A meta-analysis," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    2. Guifang Liu & Jie Li & Liang Ren & Heli Lu & Jingcao Wang & Yaxing Zhang & Cheng Zhang & Chuanrong Zhang, 2022. "Identification of Socio-Economic Impacts as the Main Drivers of Carbon Stocks in China’s Tropical Rainforests: Implications for REDD+," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-20, November.
    3. Charlotte Filt Slothuus & Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt & Ole Mertz, 2020. "Navigating between Tea and Rubber in Xishuangbanna, China: When New Crops Fail and Old Ones Work," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, January.

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