Economic boom or ecologic doom? : using spatial analysis to reconcile road development with forest conservation

Front Cover -- Contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- About the Authors -- Executive Summary -- Abbreviations -- Chapter 1 Overview -- Context and Rationale -- Natural Resources, Infrastructure, and Development -- Structure of the Report -- Notes -- References -- Chapter 2 A Snapshot of the Democratic Republic of Congo's Transport System -- Introduction -- The Current State of the Transport Network -- Two Transport Network Improvement Proposals -- Benefits to Road Improvement -- Concluding Remarks -- Notes -- References -- Chapter 3 Roads, Forests, and the Biodiversity of the Democratic Republic of Congo -- Motivation -- Approach -- Results on Forest Clearing -- Gradients of Biodiversity Impacts -- The Stakes for Vulnerable Areas -- Concluding Remarks -- Annex 3A -- Annex 3B -- Notes -- References -- Chapter 4 Economic and Ecological Impact of Prospective Road Investments -- Introduction -- Major Urban Center Road Network Improvement Project -- Virunga National Park Road Improvement Project -- Notes -- References -- Chapter 5 Summary and Conclusions -- Introduction -- Modeling Transport Cost in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Its Effects in the Economy -- Estimating Deforestation and Biodiversity Impacts of Road Improvements -- Scenario Analysis -- Boxes -- Box 2.1 Geospatial Model -- Box 2.2 The Effect of Transport Costs on Economic Activity -- Box 4.1 Local GDP Simulation -- Box 4.2 Estimating Agricultural Benefits -- Figures -- Figure ES.1 Effect of Road Quality on Forest Clearing Intensity -- Figure 1.1 Environmental Income Dependence by Income Quintile -- Figure 3.1 Effect of Road Quality on Forest Clearing Intensity -- Figure 3A.1 Road Planning Regimes, Road Quality, and Deforestation -- Maps -- Map ES.1 Local GDP in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2006 -- Map ES.2 Diagrammatic Map of Transport in the Democratic Republic of Congo.