2012 ISEE Conference 2nd Call for Papers

6 Responses

1. Abstract
   The ecological system is endowed with wealth of resources and produces goods and services, which are essential for human well-being. Unfortunately, humans over use the natural resources and put pressure on the ecosystem services. The ecosystem, in the process of economic development, arrives at the point where production of environmental goods and human well- being are negatively impacted. Ceteris paribus, livelihood is functionally related to natural capital. Forests being the base of natural capital are the source of livelihood for people living in and around them. Most of these peoples residing in and around forest area are indigenous. They are an integral part of forest ecosystem. Indigenous and other forest dependent people’s decisions regarding when and where to extract resources are fundamental questions in some regions of the world. The livelihood of these people depends on allocation of labor in different economic activities as well as for extraction of natural resources produced and supplied by forest ecosystem services. These people manage their time and allocate labor in an optimal way to maximize utility. When the forest ecosystem is in a natural state resources are abundant and able to support the livelihood of people whose size is small. However, once anthropogenic intervention like mining degrades the forest ecosystem, and puts more pressure on ecosystem services (because of more migrant labour), the livelihood of these people is disturbed. Unable to maximize utility by deciding where and when to extract resources, these people start moving away in search of jobs and alternative livelihoods.
   In the present paper, the impact of mine-spoiled degraded ecosystem on livelihood and well- being of indigenous and other forest dependent people is studied taking into consideration the time allocation and resource extraction by the households. Along with a supportive literature in terms of Resource Extraction, Anthropogenic Intervention and Ecosystem Divergence, a theoretical frame of the household model is developed to maximize utility of indigenous and other forest dependent people with some resource and income constraints. Estimating the model using multinomial logistic regression we find that due to anthropogenic intervention like unsustainable mining activities, households were relatively more vulnerable during last five to six decades than during any comparable period of human history. Our analyses suggest to correct the vulnerability of the household through policy changes of adopting drastic and large- scale restoration in the mine spoiled degraded site. At the same time we also suggest to the policy makers and planners of mining activities to think seriously about the ecosystem while granting mining lease to either government or private agencies and should ensure the sustainability of mining especially in forest and tribal dominated areas in order to maintain the ecosystem in a desired state of biodiversity.

2. ABSTRACT

   The necessity to mitigate environmental damages and to preserve the environmental resources has pushed countries to rethinking their production and consumption models, focusing on the sustainable development principles. Facing this new paradigm, a concern has raised in stimulating the use of environmental goods. Consequently, issues regarding the definition and classification of environmental goods have emerged in trade negotiations and in academia and, more recently, also in the conceptual scope of the Green Economy developments.
   Due to this scenario and current discussion on environmental goods at the World Trade Organization (WTO), the role to Brazil as a major player in their markets might become particularly important, once Brazilian exports and, mainly, imports of environmental goods is significant, particularly to renewable energies. This statement can be supported by Brazilian potential in this energy sector (REN21, 2010) and by the investments that are projected to happen to enhance production of renewable sources (The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2010-11).
   However, the outcomes to Brazil in facing this new commercial reality that, until 2007, were dependent on negotiations to environmental goods at the Committee on Trade and Environment – Special Session – WTO, are now related to the Green Economy near developments. One of the biggest matters that challenge Brazilian policy makers is the dispute on classifying environmental goods among WTO member-countries. To illustrate this point, developed countries have proposed lists to negotiate environmental goods, which include several equipment used to produce renewable energy, and are classified as industrial goods, and arguing that they can be considered clean technology. This position affects developing countries, which usually are importers of such devices, facing negative trade impacts on their trade balance, which could be even worsened by tariff reductions.
   This is, indeed, Brazil´s case, as the country imports a considerable quantity of industrial goods in the renewable energy category, according to the classification proposed by OECD and the European Union. On the other hand, the ethanol, which shows an exporting potentiality for Brazilian companies, has been excluded by most of lists proposed by developed countries. The same kind of debate that has been enveloping the environmental goods negotiation at the WTO is likely to prevail also in the scope of the Green Economy.
   Thus, the goal of this study is to evaluate the Brazilian trade balance for renewable energy, based upon the list proposed by OECD and by the European Union, both being negotiated at the WTO, and to identify the variables that affect imports and exports of those goods. Besides, we build scenarios to project impacts over the Brazilian trade balance taking into consideration the plausible outcomes of international negotiations and tariff cuts to environmental goods, specifically to renewable energy goods. We apply a VAR model (Vector auto-regressive model), based on Castro and Cavalcanti (1997).
   Key-words: Brazil, Renewable energy, International Trade; Environmental goods; WTO; VAR model; Green Economy

3. I am from India. I need financial support for paper presentation. So can i submit my full paper by November 22, 2011?

   1. Narendra – For further information and abstract submission, visit http://www.isee2012.org or send an e-mail to info@isee2012.org. Thank you!