Footprints in the Jungle

Book excerpt: Tropical forests have seen a tremendous growth in logging, mining, and oil and gas development over the past decades. These industries and their infrastructure, including roads and power lines, have a tremendous impact on the environment and often conflict with the growing concern for conservation, particularly the conservation of tropical biodiversity. However, development in the tropics is extremely important economically, both for developing and industrialized nations, and Footprints in the Jungle is an invaluable reference in this important and highly politicized debate. This volume looks at new approaches that lessen the impact of development. It collects numerous case studies by project managers, advocates, and researchers from major international companies, development agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations. It also examines the environmental and social impact of resource development, proposes a rigorous "best practices" approach, and analyzes a number of challenging technical, environmental, social, and legal issues.