On April 22, 2024, my article ‘Valuing nature: the case of tropical forests and Costa Rica’ was published in the Royal Society, volume 379, Issue 1903, as part of the theme issue ‘Bringing nature into decision-making’, featuring in total 10 research articles and opinion pieces.
My paper focuses on the failure to account for the value of standing tropical forests, and of ecosystem services in general, in economic decision-making. This blindness to the values of nature has led to overexploitation, degradation and destruction of tropical forests, which, in turn, has also significantly contributed to greenhouse gas emissions.
Forest conservation and restoration has a critical role to play in the fight against climate change and brings a vast array of additional benefits, from security in water, energy, food, health and livelihoods to maintaining biodiversity itself as a core component of our living planet. As first Minister of Environment and Energy under President Oscar Arias (1986–1990), I brought these views into societal decision-making in Costa Rica and in the article I briefly describe how.
Read the full theme issue
You can read the full theme issue here or download the PDF.
‘Bringing nature into decision-making’ was compiled and edited by Yadvinder Malhi, Gretchen C. Daily, Ian Bateman, Rosina Bierbaum, Sandra Díaz, Carl Folke, Steve Polasky and Kathy Willis.
