Causal inference in environmental conservation: The role of institutions

摘要: Abstract The on-going degradation of global public goods such as biodiversity and climate regulation due to the loss natural tropical ecosystems has generated demand for evidence on effectiveness alternative policy instruments environmental conservation. Economists initially responded with ex post evaluations using quasi-experimental methods identify average causal effects outcomes deforestation. In this chapter, we demonstrate how careful attention institutions enhances both credibility relevance these evaluations. Policy protected areas, decentralization, payments ecosystem services are designed change formal property rights institutions. Their shaped by informal institutions, especially when they applied that also central local livelihoods. Program evaluation should consider define (1) assignment or selection people places, (2) specific treatments, through variation in institutional details generate heterogeneous effects, (3) moderators influence potential without treatment, again generating (4) mechanisms, means which affect ultimate outcomes.