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Development policies and tropical deforestation in the southern Yucatán peninsula: centralized and decentralized approaches
Author(s) -
Klepeis P.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/ldr.583
Subject(s) - deforestation (computer science) , geography , clearing , government (linguistics) , clearance , land use , decentralization , resource (disambiguation) , environmental resource management , environmental planning , natural resource economics , political science , business , economics , ecology , medicine , computer network , linguistics , philosophy , finance , computer science , law , urology , biology , programming language
It is well established that for multiple biophysical contexts there are legacies of past government policies in present land conditions. Despite this recognition, however, investigation of ongoing tropical deforestation dynamics often de‐emphasizes the past. The case of the southern Yucatán peninsula demonstrates the need for historical analysis in identifying key drivers of deforestation. The most important land‐use changes in the region over the past 100 years are connected to shifts in national development policies. These shifts represent tensions between centralized and decentralized approaches to land management—as represented by the policies of Presidents Díaz (1876–1910) and Cárdenas (1934–40)—that persisted throughout the 20th century. The legacies of these reoccurring development strategies include depleted hardwood reserves, large areas of permanently cleared forest, a complicated system of land allocation, and long‐standing tensions between economic, social welfare, and environmental conservation goals. These findings suggest that while centralized and decentralized approaches to development both focus on natural resource exploitation, the rates of deforestation tend to be faster, the patterns of forest clearing more pronounced, and land‐use decision making less democratic under systems of centralized control. These conclusions hold implications for land‐use decision making today. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.