Sustainable Amazon : Limitations and Opportunities for Rural Development

Schneider, Robert R. ; Arima, Eugenio ; Verissimo, Adalberto ; Souza, Carlos, Jr. ; Barreto, Paulo

Washington, DC:World Bank

关键词: AGRICULTURAL LAND USE;    AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS;    AGRICULTURE;    BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION;    CARBON;   

DOI  :  10.1596/0-8213-5031-5
RP-ID  :  WTP515

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The report contributes to the debatesurrounding land use in the Brazilian Amazon. It sets thecontext by reviewing the evidence concerning the deleteriouseffect of increasing levels of rainfall on agriculturalsettlement, and productivity. Next, it compares the economicfuture of an Amazonian community, under the traditional"predatory logging followed by ranching" model,and under sustainable logging. Last, the authors investigatethe potential to create a system of national forests. Theauthors make four conclusions: 1) they demonstrate thatincreasing levels of rainfall, seriously undermineagricultural productivity, and sustainability. At thehighest extreme, in the 45 percent of the Amazon with annualrainfall of over 2,200 mm, only forestry, and possibly somepalm crops, are likely to be economically viable; 2) theauthors assert that in this area of the Amazon, and much ofthe transition area (rainfall between 1,800 mm and 2,200mm), sustainable forestry would provide more stablecommunities, and a higher standard of living thanagriculture; 3) the authors conclude that regulatorycompetition, and a short local political time horizon,prevent sustainable forestry from being adapted, despite itsbetter long-run performance; and, 4) some 10 percent of theAmazon could be put into national forests, in a way thatwould both meet current demand for Brazilian Amazoniantimber, and reinforce the Amazon park system, which isexpected to fully conserve 10 percent of the Brazilian Amazon.