This chapter explores the possibilities and limits of law and institutions as instruments for generating changes in environmental behaviour. First, an overview of the different schools of thought on law and natural resources is presented. It appears that the overall trend with regard to land and common property resources is orientated towards: 1) a bottom-up/sociological approach to the law-making process, and 2) devolution of powers to local communities in a setting of comanagement.

A tree is more than timber. It is food, income, medicine, fuel/energy, fodder. Forestry plays an important role in providing food security and poverty alleviation.

Los principales defensores del aprovechamiento del bosque admiten la necesidad de tomar en consideracin la conservacin. Incluso los ms acendrados grupos ecologistas reconocen que los programas de conservacin encaminados a preservar los bosques deben incluir algunas actividades de aprovechamiento. La cuestin que hay que dilucidar es si se deben conservar los bosques y qu grado de utilizacin se ha de aceptar, o si, partiendo del supuesto de que se necesita utilizar los bosques y hacerlo de manera sostenible, qu grado de conservacin se ha de garantizar.