GCSE Geography | Rainforest Management: National Level (Tropical Rainforests 9)

The national government of a country has responsibility for promoting economic development and protecting the environment - this can be a huge conflict of interest though!

Striking a balance

It is very difficult for countries to find a sustainable balance between the environment and the economy. They can easily choose not to use the land at all, which would enable ecosystems to find their own balance, however this does mean that there will be an economic impact and development will be hindered, along with the quality of life of the population.

Government legislation

Governments have the power to bring in legislation in the form of new environmental laws to protect ecosystems, or they can stop the exploitation of the rainforest by developers, perhaps stopping mining and HEP projects for example. They can also make subjects, such as ecology or environmental studies, a compulsory part of the school curriculum, so people are educated from an early age about the importance of conservation, and the consequences of exploitation.

Setting aside areas for conservation

Tropical rainforests can be also preserved in conservation areas, such as national parks or nature reserves. These areas can be used for education, scientific research and tourism. Recently, large international businesses have supported conservation projects in exchange for carrying out scientific research or extracting raw materials.

What's the main issue?

However, as usual it comes down to money. Very few governments are willing to do anything that might slow down the rate of economic development within their country, and environmental protection costs money. As a result many governments won't enforce or monitor laws aimed at protecting or conserving tropical rainforests. Additionally, in terms of a desire to protect the environment from the point of view of the country's inhabitants, many people living in developing nations would rather have better living standards than new nature reserves. And to top it off, corruption often gets in the way of tropical rainforest management, for example where illegal loggers and developers pay bribes to government officials in order for them to turn a blind eye to their exploitation.