Balance is beautiful: assessing sustainable development in the rain forests of the Bolivian Amazon

Abstract

This thesis aims at improving the understanding of the economic, environmental and social inter-relationships inherent in development processes. This study specifically deals with the problems and efforts involved in the use of rain forests of the Bolivian Amazon. The core issues addressed in the different chapters are: economic growth and distribution of income in the Brazil nut industry; the social-institutional constraints in the conduct of transactions by means of the advance payment system (habilito), the fanancial viability of forest management under the Bolivian forestry law; rent capturing in the timber industry; and an environmentally Extended Social Accounting Matrix (ESAM) used to explore the interactions between the economic, environmental and social development. It also compares the benefits of alternative forestland use options. The final chapter discusses the policy implications of the various scenarios and formulates recommendations.