Three Essays on the Economics of Tropical Deforestation

Castro Amado, Diego Armando (2026) Three Essays on the Economics of Tropical Deforestation. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

This thesis examines how policy instruments and agricultural productivity factors influence deforestation in the Colombian Amazon, a region where environmental, poverty, and national security concerns intersect. Forest loss remains one of the most pressing environmental and development challenges, driven by both illicit activities—particularly coca cultivation—and legal agricultural expansion along the forest frontier.

The thesis comprises three chapters, each addressing one of the following research questions: (i) How do anti-drug policies affect deforestation? (ii) Can military enforcement curb illegal deforestation? and (iii) How are agricultural incentives correlated with farmers’ land-clearing decisions at the forest frontier? To address the first question, we investigate whether supply-side anti-drug enforcement generates ancillary environmental benefits. Exploiting a policy-induced discontinuity created by the suspension of the anti-drug program along the Colombian–Ecuadorian border (2008–2013), we provide causal evidence that anti-drug enforcement had no measurable effect on forest loss, challenging the assumption that drug enforcement can serve as an effective conservation tool.

The second question is addressed by assessing the impact of militarised, place-based interventions on illegal deforestation hotspots in Amazon protected areas. As a case study, we evaluate Operation Artemis (2019–2022), the largest anti-deforestation military intervention in Colombia. Using a quasi-experimental design in a staggered difference-in-differences framework, we find short-term reductions in illegal deforestation, alongside a potentially high cost-effectiveness ratio.

Finally, to address question (iii), we investigate whether agricultural productivity is correlated with deforestation and estimate the opportunity cost of conservation across Colombian Amazon farms. We model farmers’ land-clearing decisions using data from over 39,000 Amazon farms and satellite imagery and find that opportunity costs vary widely across farms and are positively associated with crop profitability. Furthermore, our results suggest that improving access to credit and technical assistance can strengthen environmental and agricultural policies.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Economics
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	08 Jun 2026 10:49
Last Modified:	08 Jun 2026 10:49
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/103309
DOI:

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