Can ecological fiscal transfers contribute to conservation and well-being? An examination of local interactions in the Atlantic forest region of Brazil

This thesis examines a Brazilian policy mechanism known as the Ecological ICMS (ICMS-E) that compensates municipal governments for the local costs of conservation. Case studies from two states examine i) how the design of the ICMS-E legislation functions in a local setting of limited institutional capacity to produce outcomes, ii) whether the reception of environmental compensation contributes to the alleviation of environmental conflict in areas of social and biological diversity, and iii) how local power dynamics impact on the distribution of the costs and benefits of payments for conservation.