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Land tenure security and deforestation: Evidence from a framed field experiment in Uganda

Author

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  • Walker, Sarah
  • Alix-García, Jennifer
  • Bartlett, Anne
  • Calder, Alice

Abstract

We conduct a framed field experiment with Ugandan forest users to elucidate the impact of land tenure security on deforestation. One-third of participants faced a threat of eviction, one-third had the option to secure tenure through costly certification, and one-third had secure tenure. The results show that insecure tenure increases tree extraction by 23%, while certification reduces that effect by half. The conservation effects of certification are intensified for participants with a lived experience of land tenure insecurity generated by overlapping land rights. Our findings demonstrate that land certification can improve environmental outcomes and that these effects may be amplified by historical legacies of insecurity.

Suggested Citation

  • Walker, Sarah & Alix-García, Jennifer & Bartlett, Anne & Calder, Alice, 2025. "Land tenure security and deforestation: Evidence from a framed field experiment in Uganda," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:131:y:2025:i:c:s009506962500021x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2025.103137
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Land tenure security; Overlapping land rights; Deforestation; Land certification; Field experiments; Sub-Saharan Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • Q23 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Forestry
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • N57 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - Africa; Oceania

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