Infrastructure, Institutions, and the Conservation of Biodiversity in India
研究印度基础设施扩张如何导致森林砍伐和物种损失，发现当地制度让边缘社区参与项目规划可大幅减少物种损失，对平衡发展与保护有参考价值。
Anthropogenic land use change is the leading threat to biodiversity. This study examines how infrastructure expansion degrades biodiversity and what role local institutions play in mitigating species loss. Combining new data from India on infrastructure-driven deforestation with 1 million bird-watching diaries, I document a sizable infrastructure-biodiversity trade-off. Forest encroachment by transport, irrigation, resettlement camps, and mining projects accounts for 20% of total species loss. The trade-off is especially acute in already-fragmented landscapes, and species diversity does not recover in the medium run. Yet the extent of species loss is more than halved when local institutions enable marginalized communities, who are often excluded from project planning, to mobilize around their interests. Informed consent between developers and tribal communities is a key mechanism, underscoring the importance of inclusive institutions for balancing development and conservation.