Amazon region: eco-efficient landscapes

The Amazon basin and its rich forest has inspired much debate about its natural treasures, potential for economic development and the rights of its populations to exclusive benefits. This debate started in the 1970s and has continued ever since. The chapter points to some of the current key social, occupational and political dynamics in the region and reviews the prime threats affecting Amazon forests and livelihoods. Among these are cattle ranching, soybean production, logging, infrastructure expansion, and the oil and gas industry. These sectors have changed over the years and have adapted to a new economic, political and social climate. The chapter subsequently reviews a series of more recent responses to these threats. Important progress has been made in institutional overhaul, land tenure reform, decentralized government and deregulation and incentives to support sustainable forest use, in particular the newly emerging REDD initiatives. The final part of the chapter provides a balanced assessment of conflicting interests, persisting threats and response options that have achieved positive outcomes suggesting that both old and new challenges require innovative policy action.

This article presents a 21st Century agenda for Amazonian conservation. The agenda calls for developing a system of refugia and a scientific methodology for predicting impacts of the infrastructure development vision for the region. It also calls for a collaborative approach to conservation planning, in the interest of fruitful engagement with decision-makers and stakeholders. The ideas explored here emerged from the collaboration of peers over a decade, which culminated in a panel presentation, Scientific Analysis, and Simulation Models to Support Conservation and Development Decision-Making, at the Tools and Strategies Workshop held at the University of Florida in October, 2017. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.

The Foundation Review

Study about the problems of Amazonian region, the challenges to be overcome and the opportunities to promote sustainable development in the biome. Prepared for Walmart Brazil in 2009 as part of the "Dialogues for sustainability - Building the supply-chain of the future." With 38 pages in .pdf format; Rogerio Ruschel was the executive editor and Rafael Boni Ruschel the creator and designer.

2016

Abstract: The Amazon basin and its rich forest has inspired much debate about its natural treasures, potential for economic development and the rights of its populations to exclusive benefits. This debate started in the 1970s and has continued ever since. The chapter points to some of the current key social, occupational and political dynamics in the region and reviews the prime threats affecting Amazon forests and livelihoods. Among these are cattle ranching, soybean production, logging, infrastructure expansion, and the oil and gas industry. These sectors have changed over the years and have adapted to a new economic, political and social climate. The chapter subsequently reviews a series of more recent responses to these threats. Important progress has been made in institutional overhaul, land tenure reform, decentralized government and deregulation and incentives to support sustainable forest use, in particular the newly emerging REDD initiatives. The final part of the chapter p...

UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) eBooks, 2021

The Science Panel for the Amazon is an unprecedented initiative convened under the auspices of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). The SPA is composed of over 200 preeminent scientists and researchers from the eight Amazonian countries, French Guiana, and global partners. These experts came together to debate, analyze, and assemble the accumulated knowledge of the scientific community, Indigenous peoples, and other stakeholders that live and work in the Amazon. The Panel is inspired by the Leticia Pact for the Amazon. This is a first-of-its-kind Report which provides a comprehensive, objective, open, transparent, systematic, and rigorous scientific assessment of the state of the Amazon's ecosystems, current trends, and their implications for the long-term well-being of the region, as well as opportunities and policy relevant options for conservation and sustainable development.

2022

Erdkunde, 2017

Trends in ecology & evolution, 1998

At least three global-change phenomena are having major impacts on Amazonian forests: (1) accelerating deforestation and logging; (2) rapidly changing patterns of forest loss; and (3) interactions between human land-use and climatic variability. Additional alterations caused by climatic change, rising concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, mining, overhunting and other large-scale phenomena could also have important effects on the Amazon ecosystem. Consequently, decisions regarding Amazon forest use in the next decade are crucial to its future existence.

2014

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and the largest river basin on the planet. More species are found here than anywhere else. Such is the extraordinary diversity of life in the Amazon that the region is believed to be home to 10%, 1 in 10, known species on Earth. A compilation of species in the Amazon region from 2002 showed that there are at least 40,000 plant species in this vast biome, 75% of which are endemic to the region. In addition, the same study found that 427 mammals, 1,300 birds, 378 reptiles and 427 amphibians had been scientifically classified for the region, as well as at least 3,000 species of fish. This is the largest number of freshwater fish species in the world. The same level of diversity can almost certainly be said for invertebrates. About 50,000 species of insects can be found in any 2.5 sq km of Amazon rainforest. More recent studies have recorded vastly increased numbers of species of plants and vertebrates in the region. It is estimated that the region contains almost 10% of the global reserve of carbon stored in its diverse ecosystems. Carbon storage is just one of a multitude of ecosystem services provided by the Amazon at the local, regional and global levels, the most critical of which are storage of freshwater, regional climate regulation (including rainfall provision to the breadbasket of South America, in the central part of the continent), and a treasure trove of biological diversity. This unparalleled natural wonder is also home to 34 million people, including 385 indigenous groups. With great diversity comes great responsibility. Today the Amazon is facing a multitude of threats as a result of unsustainable economic development. The search for land, energy sources and minerals, with large scale deforestation due to the wide dissemination of agribusiness (primarily cattle and soy, but ncreasingly palm oil) and infrastructure development, has resulted in 17% of Amazon forest being destroyed or deforested and much more is severely threatened as the destruction continues. Protected areas (PAs) are the best known mechanism to conserve Amazon ecosystems for people and the planet. This report analyses the evolution of the PAs network of the Amazon, from 1960 to 2013. It examines the main advances in PA creation by each Amazon country and assesses how successful efforts have been in ensuring the representation of different ecosystems in the PA network at the regional level. The role of the indigenous territories (ITs) is also presented in this context. For the populations living in or around Amazon PAs, these mechanisms are of direct economic importance. Harvesting of non-timber forest products and sustainable timber extraction are regulated in many sustainable use areas. Tourism and exploration activities have created employment in specific, well visited areas. The importance of well-conserved ecosystems for indigenous peoples is even greater; often their entire territories have high conservation value. Thanks to increasing recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights and their positive contribution to nature conservation, ITs are increasingly considered an effective mechanism to conserve Amazon ecosystems, in addition to their primary role to secure indigenous peoples’ rights to their ancestral lands. (Plus Conclusions and Recommendations.)