Efficacy of environmental instruments for poverty reduction

A new area of activity that is just being launched the is identification of a specific set of environmental instruments that are likely to have an impact on poverty. For example, we may undertake control-treatment studies to examine the role of eco-tourism and its implications for the poor who live in such zones. Here the environmental management instrument is eco-tourism, but does it contribute to improvements in broad indicators such as household income or consumption? Are there other instruments, community contracted tourism operations, for instance, that work better for the poor?

We will also examine questions related to participation of the poor in natural resource management activities and assess the determinants of participation or technology adoption – for example in the case in agro-forestry programs. We hope to be able to undertake diagnostic work, piggyback on on-going environmental projects or programs and identify monitorable indicators. This activity will be undertaken with the Natural Resource Management Thematic Group in the Bank. A current project in this area relates to tourism and poverty in Zambia.