The Fight Against Deforestation of Tropical Forests — The Contribution of the Blockchain-Based Contract Management Method to Minimize Illegal Logging

Elena Mechik and Michael von Hauff

Chapter 14 in Climate and Development, 2021, pp 439-463 from World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

Abstract: Tropical forests play a distinctive role in climate and atmospheric gas balance stabilization. They store carbon in their biomass, support biodiversity, and provide ecosystem services such as protection of watersheds or reduction of soil erosion. Forests act as sources for timber and non-timber forest products and are the habitat of forest communities’ inhabitants. Despite the importance of tropical forests, they continue to be devastated, causing 17% of global carbon emissions, loss of biodiversity, and climate change. Decades of efforts by governmental, non-governmental, and international organizations to reduce illegal deforestation worldwide have had limited success. In this paper, we analyze the opportunities to develop administrative methods for forest conservation based on the blockchain technology in combination with the economic activities of forest communities. The aim is to reduce the sale of illegally logged timber, to contribute to the reduction of illegal logging, and thereby to the mitigation of climate change. Based on this analysis, we propose a concept for tropical forest preservation through a blockchain-based contract management platform. This concept is based on field research of economic activities in Brazilian, Indian, and Thai forest communities.

Keywords: Climate Change; Global Warming; Sustainable Development; Development; Economic Growth; Adaptation; Paris Agreement; Social Conflict; Extreme Events; Integrated Assessment Model; Climate-Economic Liveability; Sustainable Development Goals; Social Welfare Functions; Intergenerational Transfers; Water Scarcity; Natural Resources; Migration; Climate-Migration Relationship; MENA Region; Renewable Energy; ICT; Energy Efficiency; Carbon Dioxide Removal; Net Negative Emissions; Co-Benefits; Afforestation; Reforestation; Mangroves; Developing Countries; Blue Carbon Projects; Ecosystems; Blockchain Technology; Illegal Logging; Mining Industries; Power Plants; Environmental Economics; Resource Economics; Climate Change Economics; Climate Policy; Mitigation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q5 Q54 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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