Criminal policies and environmental legislation in the prevention of illegal logging: a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35381/racji.v11i21.5254Keywords:
Environmental law, deforestation, environmental policy, delinquency, governance, (UNESCO Thesaurus).Abstract
The aim of this systematic review was to analyse the scientific evidence published between 2020 and 2025 on the effectiveness of criminal policies and environmental legislation in preventing illegal logging in tropical regions. The PRISMA 2020 statement was followed; Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, Latindex and DOAJ were searched, and methodological quality was appraised with the MMAT tool. Of 847 records identified, 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. The results reveal a paradox of environmental hyperlexis: robust regulatory frameworks coexist with limited effectiveness, explained by weak inter-institutional coordination, timber traceability gaps, structural corruption, technocratic control and a lack of social legitimacy. Community participation and institutional transparency were associated with greater effectiveness than punitive severity. It is concluded that prevention requires a governance triangle based on social legitimacy, transparency and inter-institutional cooperation.
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