Environmental policy-making networks and the future of the Amazon

This article examines four periods of environmental policy-making in the Amazonian region of Brazil. It specifically analyses the role of pro-environment and pro-development policy networks in affecting policy design and implementation. It argues that the efforts of environmentalist networks trying...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Carmen Lemos, M, Timmons Roberts, J
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Royal Society Publishing 2008
Subjects:
_version_ 1797094054296551424
author Carmen Lemos, M
Timmons Roberts, J
author_facet Carmen Lemos, M
Timmons Roberts, J
author_sort Carmen Lemos, M
collection OXFORD
description This article examines four periods of environmental policy-making in the Amazonian region of Brazil. It specifically analyses the role of pro-environment and pro-development policy networks in affecting policy design and implementation. It argues that the efforts of environmentalist networks trying to advocate or block relative developmentalist policies in the Amazon depend on three critical factors - whether they are able to attract the support of elites (or at least block their developmentalist policy initiatives); the type and level of international support they have; and the organizational and financial resources that they are able to mobilize. In analysing the four periods, this article finds that while international influences and resources have been substantial in enabling environmentalist networks to flourish and influence the policy, their effectiveness has been nearly always outweighed by Brazilian developmentalist interests. The outcome in each phase has been a different form of <em>stalemate</em> on environmental protection, and the deforestation continued each time, albeit at slower rates. These findings suggest that the key for significantly lower rates of deforestation on the Amazon may be in the ability of pro-environment networks to neutralize opposition by creating an incentive structure that 'compensates' potential losers of policies that promote conservation.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T04:08:48Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:c71cfa08-0846-4c04-a017-0ea134cccdfa
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T04:08:48Z
publishDate 2008
publisher Royal Society Publishing
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:c71cfa08-0846-4c04-a017-0ea134cccdfa2022-03-27T06:42:47ZEnvironmental policy-making networks and the future of the AmazonJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:c71cfa08-0846-4c04-a017-0ea134cccdfaEnvironmentEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetRoyal Society Publishing2008Carmen Lemos, MTimmons Roberts, JThis article examines four periods of environmental policy-making in the Amazonian region of Brazil. It specifically analyses the role of pro-environment and pro-development policy networks in affecting policy design and implementation. It argues that the efforts of environmentalist networks trying to advocate or block relative developmentalist policies in the Amazon depend on three critical factors - whether they are able to attract the support of elites (or at least block their developmentalist policy initiatives); the type and level of international support they have; and the organizational and financial resources that they are able to mobilize. In analysing the four periods, this article finds that while international influences and resources have been substantial in enabling environmentalist networks to flourish and influence the policy, their effectiveness has been nearly always outweighed by Brazilian developmentalist interests. The outcome in each phase has been a different form of <em>stalemate</em> on environmental protection, and the deforestation continued each time, albeit at slower rates. These findings suggest that the key for significantly lower rates of deforestation on the Amazon may be in the ability of pro-environment networks to neutralize opposition by creating an incentive structure that 'compensates' potential losers of policies that promote conservation.
spellingShingle Environment
Carmen Lemos, M
Timmons Roberts, J
Environmental policy-making networks and the future of the Amazon
title Environmental policy-making networks and the future of the Amazon
title_full Environmental policy-making networks and the future of the Amazon
title_fullStr Environmental policy-making networks and the future of the Amazon
title_full_unstemmed Environmental policy-making networks and the future of the Amazon
title_short Environmental policy-making networks and the future of the Amazon
title_sort environmental policy making networks and the future of the amazon
topic Environment
work_keys_str_mv AT carmenlemosm environmentalpolicymakingnetworksandthefutureoftheamazon
AT timmonsrobertsj environmentalpolicymakingnetworksandthefutureoftheamazon