Institutional evolution, forest conservation, and rapid change in rural honduras

Abstract

Research increasingly suggests that effective institutional arrangements constitute a critical component for environmental conservation and development efforts, but many questions remain as to how institutions form and evolve, particularly in contexts of rapid change. This study examines the evolution of institutional arrangements for forest conservation in a rural municipality of western Honduras during a period of dramatic social and economic transformation. In recent years, the municipality has experienced expansion of export coffee production, infrastructural improvements, and increasing ties to national and internationalmarkets. The municipality has created a cloud forest reserve and gained national recognition for forest conservation. The analysis examines the transformation of traditional institutions, the emergence of new ones, and factors that influence apparent successes, failures, and ongoing challenges. Building on recent scholarship on institutional diversity and complex social-ecological systems, the discussion considers the implications of ongoing transformations for local forests, land-use and land-cover change, and vulnerability (as well as adaptation) to rapid change.