Population Growth and Forest Sustainability in Africa

Simplice Asongu and Brian Jingwa ()

No 11/017, Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. from African Governance and Development Institute.

Abstract: Recent distressing trends in climate change, population explosion and deforestation inspired this paper, which completes existing literature by providing empirical justification to hypothetical initiatives on the impact of population growth on forest sustainability in Africa. Using three instruments of forest exploitation, the study shows how rural, agricultural and national population growths affect forest-area and agricultural-land. In this particular study the findings indicate that instruments of forest exploitation do not explain changes in forest-area and agricultural-land beyond population growth mechanisms. Hence, population growth channels are a driving force by which forest-area and agricultural-land are depleted and expanded respectively. As a policy implication in the process of deforestation, a balanced approach is needed to take account of the interests of both; a green economy promoting sustainable development and the growing population needs.

Keywords: Demography; Forestry; Agriculture; Environment; Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J10 L73 N50 O13 Q23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 29
Date: 2011-12-04
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published in International Journal of Green Economics

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.afridev.org/RePEc/agd/agd-wpaper/Popula ... ence-from-Africa.pdf Revised version, 2013 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Population growth and forest sustainability in Africa (2012)
Working Paper: Population growth and forest sustainability in Africa (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:agd:wpaper:11/017

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