From Paper to Digital: Understanding the Ecological Impacts of Land Reform

• In Event: Remote Sensing and the Political Economy of Development

Abstract

The role of property rights reforms in either facilitating elite capture or empowering communities to conserve natural resources is crucial in environmental conservation. This study investigates this issue by using the staggered roll-out of a reform in India that digitized land records in over 600,000 villages. By analyzing remote sensing data on forest and other vegetation cover, we find that digitization led to increased deforestation, likely due to heightened agricultural investment by landowners. Contrarily, in communities historically reliant on forest produce, forest cover remained stable, suggesting their effective preservation of natural resources. These results provide insights into the conditions under which property rights reforms can foster environmental protection.

Authors

• Saad Gulzar, Princeton University

• Aliz Toth, London School of Economics

• Anzony Quispe Rojas, Princeton University