Large-scale collective action to avoid an Amazon tipping point - key actors and interventions

Current Research in Environmental Sustainability

Niklas Harring¹  U. Martin Persson²  Will Steffen³  David Langlet⁴  Bengt Brülde⁵  Sverker C. Jagers⁵  Åsa Löfgren⁵  Martin Sjöstedt⁶  Francisco Alpízar⁷  Mairon G. Bastos Lima⁸ 

[1] Corresponding author at: Stockholm Environment Institute, Box 24218, 104 51 Stockholm, Sweden.;Center for Collective Action Research (CeCAR) and Department of Economics, University of Gothenburg, Box 650, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden;Center for Collective Action Research (CeCAR) and Department of Law, Box 650, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden;Center for Collective Action Research (CeCAR) and Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, University of Gothenburg, Box 200, Olof Wijksgatan 6, 41255 Gothenburg, Sweden;Center for Collective Action Research (CeCAR) and Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Box 711, Sprängkullsgatan 19, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden;Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Physical Resource Theory, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden;;Fenner School of Environment &Stockholm Environment Institute, Box 24218, 104 51 Stockholm, Sweden;

关键词: Amazon;    Tipping point;    Deforestation;    Large-scale collective action;    Governance;    Conservation policy;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The destruction of the Amazon is a major global environmental issue, not only because of greenhouse gas emissions or direct impacts on biodiversity and livelihoods, but also due to the forest's role as a tipping element in the Earth System. With nearly a fifth of the Amazon already lost, there are already signs of an imminent forest dieback process that risks transforming much of the rainforest into a drier ecosystem, with climatic implications across the globe. There is a large body of literature on the underlying drivers of Amazon deforestation. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the behavioral and institutional microfoundations of change. Fundamental issues concerning cooperation, as well as the mechanisms facilitating or hampering such actions, can play a much more central role in attempts to unravel and address Amazon deforestation. We thus present the issue of preventing the Amazon biome from crossing a biophysical tipping point as a large-scale collective action problem. Drawing from collective action theory, we apply a novel analytical framework on Amazon conservation, identifying six variables that synthesize relevant collective action stressors and facilitators: information, accountability, harmony of interests, horizontal trust, knowledge about consequences, and sense of responsibility. Drawing upon literature and data, we assess Amazon deforestation and conservation through our heuristic lens, showing that while growing transparency has made information availability a collective action facilitator, lack of accountability, distrust among actors, and little sense of responsibility for halting deforestation remain key stressors. We finalize by discussing interventions that can help break the gridlock.

【 授权许可】

Unknown