Location of forest plantations in Mozambique: Gains and losses in water, firewood and land availability

Industrial tree plantations in developing countries result in land-use changes affecting local livelihood possibilities and the availability of ecosystem services. Given the benefits that plantations also produce, the key question lies in making plantations compatible with other land uses. Our paper investigates trade-offs related to ecosystem services and land-use options by applying a discrete choice experiment in Niassa, Mozambique. The study addresses the experiences and preferences of local people concerning the impacts of plantations on the availability of selected ecosystem services (water and firewood), and the characteristics of plantations (distance from farm plot and type of land converted to plantation). The data collected with household interviews in the neighbourhood of four plantation sites were analysed with the random parameters logit model. Access to water and greater distance from farm plots were perceived as more important factors than easier access to firewood or the type of land converted to a plantation. Preventing declines in water availability is by far the most important factor for local people, and is valued higher than the improvement of water availability, in accordance with theoretical expectations. Both observed negative impacts and experienced positive social impacts of plantations induced preference heterogeneity for plantations to be located at greater distances from farmland, water availability, and tolerance for additional plantations in the area.