The study of political ecology on the relationship between poverty and deforestation

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24401040
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Cultural anthropology/Folklore
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: TANI Masakazu 九州大学, 芸術工学研究科(研究院), 教授 (60281549)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ASAHIRO Kazuo 九州大学, 大学院芸術工学研究院, 准教授 (30284582) ; SAKAMOTO Maiko 東京大学, 大学院新領域創成科学研究科, 准教授 (50431474)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SATOU Noriko 九州大学, 大学院農学研究院, 教授 (80253516) ; FUJITA Naoko 九州大学, 大学院芸術工学研究院, 准教授 (20466808) ; FUKUDA Susumu 九州大学, 大学院農学研究院, 教授 (40183925)
• Research Collaborator: M. Zulfikar Rahman Bangladesh Agricultural University, Professor ; AM Zofar Molsehuddin Bangladesh Agricultural University, Professor ; Md. Abiar Rahman BSMR Agricultural University, Associate professor
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ポリティカル・エコロジー / 森林消失 / 貧困 / バングラデシュ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research analyzes deforestation in the Teknaf Peninsula under the framework of political ecology that environmental problems are socially constructed. Betel leaf cultivation as a main subsistence activity in this area is an adaptive measure to obtain a sufficient income to support their livelihood in a resource poor environment. But, at the same time, betel leaf cultivation requires facilities to provide the plant with shade consume a substantial amount of forest resources. This study also finds that the poorer segment of the local population encroaches into the area of protected forest, where they enjoy “free” resources and lands in order to sustain their lives.
The analysis of social forest finds that the condition of forests varies greatly from a plot to a plot. The fact that this difference is presumably caused by management, rather than natural conditions, seems to suggest the possibility of reforestation under certain controlled sets of management and social factors.

Free Research Field

環境人類学