The Amazon: A Puzzle Between Development and Sustainability?

Roberto Duran-Fernandez and Taciana de Carvalho Coutinho

EconStor Preprints from ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics

Abstract: This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the Amazon, a vital ecological treasure in Latin America. It covers the region's environmental significance as the planet's largest rainforest and a major carbon sink, housing immense biodiversity. The study also traces the Amazon's geological history and its crucial role in the global water cycle. It explores the rich cultural heritage of the Amazon, debunking the myth of an untouched wilderness by revealing evidence of significant ancient civilizations and agricultural origins. The economic analysis highlights the contrast between the region's natural richness and the poverty of its inhabitants, focusing on the challenges posed by extractive industries, geographical isolation, and environmental threats like deforestation. The paper proposes a sustainable bioeconomy model, emphasizing indigenous knowledge and the need for strategic investments and institutional strengthening. It concludes by stressing the importance of a balanced approach to conserving the Amazon while ensuring economic viability for its inhabitants, underlining the region's global significance for environmental health and climate change mitigation.

Keywords: Amazon Rainforest; Environmental; Conservation; Sustainable Development; Bioeconomy; Amazonia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N56 Q01 Q56 Q57 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-env
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:esprep:281668

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