Impacts of the Hara Biosphere Reserve on Livelihood and Welfare in Persian Gulf

Milad Dehghani Pour, Naser Motiee, Ali Akbar Barati, Fatemeh Taheri, Hossein Azadi, Kindeya Gebrehiwot, Philippe Lebailly, Steven Van Passel and Frank Witlox

Ecological Economics, 2017, vol. 141, issue C, 76-86

Abstract: Despite the importance of biosphere reserves in Iran's livelihood and welfare, the economic significance of Hara Biosphere Reserve has never been comprehensively studied. This study examines the current importance of Hara Biosphere Reserve (HBR) in local livelihood and welfare. Using a household survey, data were collected through a questionnaire, key informant interviews and direct observations. Two hundred and forty-four households were randomly selected from 10 villages through proportional sampling. Results showed that non-environmental income was the first driver of the total income, poverty alleviation and narrowing income inequality gap. Park income was the second. The results also showed that excluding park income from total income would significantly increase headcount poverty, widen the poverty gap, and raise the Gini coefficient. Wealthier households had the greatest absolute income from the environment, including forest, fishing and fodder. However, the poorest group had smallest absolute income from these sources. Thus, the study demonstrated that wealthier households are responsible for the overharvesting of environmental resources. Interestingly, the study showed that wealthier households are more dependent on profitable environmental incomes sources while the poorest are more dependent on non-profitable ones.

Keywords: Mangrove forest; Environmental income; Income inequality; Household economics; Natural resources management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:141:y:2017:i:c:p:76-86

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.05.023

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