Economic growth and conservation effort in the Congo Basin

Abstract

In a world increasingly subject to climate change, protected areas are of particular importance for conserving biodiversity and human livelihoods. Therefore, they play an important role in helping many species, populations, and countries adapt to climate change. This paper analyzes the effects of economic growth on the evolution of the protected areas. The study examines this relation using a sample of nine countries of the Congo Basin from 1990 to 2010. The econometric results show that an increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita has a positive impact on the extent of the protected area in this region regardless of the model chosen. Therefore, economic growth is a means used for the preservation of biodiversity in the Congo Basin. Moreover, the population density is negative and statistically significant. This shows that the protected areas of the Congo Basin are particularly threatened in densely populated areas.