Institutions and Environmental Change: Principal Findings, Applications, and Research Frontiers

by Oran R. Young (Editor), Heike Schroeder (Editor), Leslie A. King (Editor)

This overview of recent research on how institutions matter in tackling environmental problems reports the findings and policy implications of a decade-long international research project. Studies show that institutions play a role both in causing and in addressing problems arising from human-environment interactions. But the nature of this role is complex and not easily described. This book presents an overview of recent research on how institutions matter in efforts to tackle such environmental problems as the loss of biological diversity, the degradation of forests, and the overarching issue of climate change. Using the tools of the "new institutionalism" in the social sciences, the book treats institutions as sets of rights, rules, and decision-making procedures. Individual chapters present research findings and examine policy implications regarding questions of causality, performance, and institutional design as well as the themes of institutional fit (or misfit), interplay, and scale. Institutions and Environmental Change is the product of a decade-long international research project on the Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (IDGEC) carried out under the auspices of the International Human Dimensions Programme. The book's policy insights demonstrate that research on institutions can provide the basis for practical advice on effective ways to deal with the most pressing environmental problems of our times. Contributors
Frank Biermann, Carl Folke, Victor Galaz, Thomas Gehring, Joyeeta Gupta, Thomas Hahn, Leslie A. King, Ronald B. Mitchell, Sebastian Oberthür, Per Olsson, Heike Schroeder, Uno Svedin, Simon Tay, Arild Underdal, Oran R. Young

373 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2008

Reviews

[Sarah Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young's work is among my favourites in the area of institutions and the environment. He writes more clearly than most other researchers of the genre, and has both strong theoretical grounding and a practical outlook. The authors in this volume bring interesting insights into the key themes relevant to institutions and environmental change. My main complaint is the same as it is for many books of this genre, albeit less so for this book than most others: it is difficult to action a lot of this information into feasible research. I realise that institutional analysis is a challenge - one that is repeated throughout the book - but this area really is in need of more pragmatic solutions to our analysis and design problems.

[Heike · Rating 5 out of 5]

couldn't resist...