IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i11p6520-d824849.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Conflicts over Land as a Risk for Social-Ecological Resilience: A Transnational Comparative Analysis in the Southwestern Amazon

Author

Listed:
  • Rebecca Froese

    (Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
    Peace Academy Rhineland-Palatinate, University of Koblenz-Landau, 76829 Landau, Germany)

  • Claudia Pinzón

    (Institute for Latin American Studies, Free University Berlin, 14197 Berlin, Germany)

  • Loreto Aceitón

    (Faculty of Engineering, Metropolitan University of Technology, Santiago 8320000, Chile)

  • Tarik Argentim

    (National Institute for Amazonian Research, Manaus 69067-375, Brazil)

  • Marliz Arteaga

    (Faculty of Biological and Natural Sciences, Amazonian University of Pando, Cobija 69932-000, Bolivia
    School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA)

  • Juan Sebastian Navas-Guzmán

    (Faculty of Human Sciences and Economics, National University of Colombia, Medellín 5003, Colombia)

  • Gleiciane Pismel

    (Center for Philosophy and Social Sciences, Federal University of Acre, Rio Branco 69917-400, Brazil)

  • Sophia Florence Scherer

    (Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany)

  • Jannis Reutter

    (Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany)

  • Janpeter Schilling

    (Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
    Peace Academy Rhineland-Palatinate, University of Koblenz-Landau, 76829 Landau, Germany)

  • Regine Schönenberg

    (Institute for Latin American Studies, Free University Berlin, 14197 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

People in the department of Madre de Dios/Peru, the state of Acre/Brazil, and the department of Pando/Bolivia experience similar conflicts over land, land use, and access to resources. At the same time, each conflict reveals distinct characteristics and dynamics, arising from its history, legal regulation, institutional (in-)capacities, and culturally diverse local populations. The aim of this paper is to better understand the main drivers of social-ecological conflicts over land in and around three protected areas in this transboundary region, known as MAP, and to analyze how (environmental) institutions influence these drivers. The paper is based on a literature review and expert interviews; it focuses on conflicts around (1) gold mining in Madre de Dios, (2) extensive cattle ranching in Acre, and (3) access to communal land in Pando. Using theories of conflict research, expanded by a political ecology perspective and insights from stakeholder and expert interviews, we find that the major conflict drivers are (1) land tenure and access to land and natural resources, (2) identity and lifestyle driven transformations, (3) state and market driven agendas, and (4) networked illegal and criminal activities. Through a comparative conflict analysis, we develop four recommendations to strengthen the creation of reflexive institutions that may be able to foster social-ecological resilience in the region: (1) The clarification of responsibilities between governance institutions and their financing; (2) the awareness raising for existing power structures and opening spaces for enhanced local participation; (3) the breaking of corruptive cycles while developing economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable livelihood opportunities; and (4) taking the continuous reproduction of illegal activities into account while clarifying responsibilities, raising awareness, and breaking corruptive cycles. The results of our research therefore not only contribute to a better understanding of conflicts in the MAP region and the wider scientific literature on social-ecological conflicts and governance, but it is also the first paper that identifies entry points and prerequisites for the transformation from reactive to reflexive institutions in Amazonian societies.

Suggested Citation

  • Rebecca Froese & Claudia Pinzón & Loreto Aceitón & Tarik Argentim & Marliz Arteaga & Juan Sebastian Navas-Guzmán & Gleiciane Pismel & Sophia Florence Scherer & Jannis Reutter & Janpeter Schilling & Re, 2022. "Conflicts over Land as a Risk for Social-Ecological Resilience: A Transnational Comparative Analysis in the Southwestern Amazon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-20, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:11:p:6520-:d:824849
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/11/6520/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/11/6520/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gerardo Hector Damonte, 2018. "Mining Formalization at the Margins of the State: Small‐scale Miners and State Governance in the Peruvian Amazon," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 49(5), pages 1314-1335, September.
    2. Dryzek, John S., 2016. "Institutions for the Anthropocene: Governance in a Changing Earth System," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(4), pages 937-956, October.
    3. David S. Salisbury & Ben G. Weinstein, 2014. "Cultural Diversity in the Amazon Borderlands: Implications for Conservation and Development," Journal of Borderlands Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 217-241, May.
    4. Patricia Ann McKay & Christine A. Vogt & Laura Schmitt Olabisi, 2017. "Development and testing a diagnostic capacity tool for improving socio-ecological system governance," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 156-183, June.
    5. Johan Rockström & Will Steffen & Kevin Noone & Åsa Persson & F. Stuart Chapin & Eric F. Lambin & Timothy M. Lenton & Marten Scheffer & Carl Folke & Hans Joachim Schellnhuber & Björn Nykvist & Cynthia , 2009. "A safe operating space for humanity," Nature, Nature, vol. 461(7263), pages 472-475, September.
    6. Chris A. Boulton & Timothy M. Lenton & Niklas Boers, 2022. "Pronounced loss of Amazon rainforest resilience since the early 2000s," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(3), pages 271-278, March.
    7. Damonte, Gerardo, 2021. "Limited state governance and institutional hybridization in alluvial ASM in Peru," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    8. Roel During & Kristof Van Assche & Rosalie Van Dam, 2022. "Relating Social and Ecological Resilience: Dutch Citizen’s Initiatives for Biodiversity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-20, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ottone Scammacca & Rasool Mehdizadeh & Yann Gunzburger, 2022. "Territorial Mining Scenarios for Sustainable Land-Planning: A Risk-Based Comparison on the Example of Gold Mining in French Guiana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-25, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Huiyuan Guan & Yongping Bai & Chunyue Zhang, 2022. "Research on Ecosystem Security and Restoration Pattern of Urban Agglomeration in the Yellow River Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Filipa Correia & Philipp Erfruth & Julie Bryhn, 2018. "The 2030 Agenda: The roadmap to GlobALLizaton," Working Papers 156, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    3. Birgit Kopainsky & Anita Frehner & Adrian Müller, 2020. "Sustainable and healthy diets: Synergies and trade‐offs in Switzerland," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(6), pages 908-927, November.
    4. Hervé Corvellec & Johan Hultman & Anne Jerneck & Susanne Arvidsson & Johan Ekroos & Niklas Wahlberg & Timothy W. Luke, 2021. "Resourcification: A non‐essentialist theory of resources for sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(6), pages 1249-1256, November.
    5. Tetsuya Tsurumi & Shunsuke Managi, 2025. "Income and Subjective Well-Being: The Importance of Index Choice for Sustainable Economic Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-32, June.
    6. Carina Mueller & Christopher West & Mairon G. Bastos Lima & Bob Doherty, 2023. "Demand-Side Actors in Agricultural Supply Chain Sustainability: An Assessment of Motivations for Action, Implementation Challenges, and Research Frontiers," World, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-20, September.
    7. Janet Judy McIntyre‐Mills, 2013. "Anthropocentrism and Well‐being: A Way Out of the Lobster Pot?," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 136-155, March.
    8. Hametner, Markus, 2022. "Economics without ecology: How the SDGs fail to align socioeconomic development with environmental sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    9. Ronja Teschner & Jessica Ruppen & Basil Bornemann & Rony Emmenegger & Lucía Aguirre Sánchez, 2021. "Mapping Sustainable Diets: A Comparison of Sustainability References in Dietary Guidelines of Swiss Food Governance Actors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, November.
    10. Barbara Predan & Petra Černe Oven, 2023. "Developing a Pedagogical Approach with the Aim of Empowering Educators and Students to Address Emerging Global Issues such as Climate Change and Social Justice: A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-22, December.
    11. Hörisch, Jacob & Ortas, Eduardo & Schaltegger, Stefan & Álvarez, Igor, 2015. "Environmental effects of sustainability management tools: An empirical analysis of large companies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 241-249.
    12. Telmo José Mendes & Diego Silva Siqueira & Eduardo Barretto Figueiredo & Ricardo de Oliveira Bordonal & Mara Regina Moitinho & José Marques Júnior & Newton La Scala Jr., 2021. "Soil carbon stock estimations: methods and a case study of the Maranhão State, Brazil," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(11), pages 16410-16427, November.
    13. Sergio Genovesi & Julia Maria Mönig, 2022. "Acknowledging Sustainability in the Framework of Ethical Certification for AI," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-10, March.
    14. Ethan Gordon & Federico Davila & Chris Riedy, 2022. "Transforming landscapes and mindscapes through regenerative agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 809-826, June.
    15. Mohammad Fazle Rabbi, 2025. "A Dynamic Systems Approach to Integrated Sustainability: Synthesizing Theory and Modeling Through the Synergistic Resilience Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-23, May.
    16. Jean-François Ruault & Alice Dupré La Tour & André Evette & Sandrine Allain & Jean-Marc Callois, 2022. "A biodiversity-employment framework to protect biodiversity," Post-Print hal-03365820, HAL.
    17. Pires, Aliny P.F. & Rodriguez Soto, Clarita & Scarano, Fabio R., 2021. "Strategies to reach global sustainability should take better account of ecosystem services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    18. Mehmet Ünal & Fatma Ünal, 2022. "Ecological Footprint Reduction Behaviors of Individuals in Turkey in the Context of Ecological Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-19, December.
    19. Kostas Bithas & Panos Kalimeris, 2022. "Coupling versus Decoupling? Challenging Evidence over the Link between Economic Growth and Resource Use," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-11, January.
    20. Alan Randall, 2022. "Driving with Eyes on the Rear-View Mirror—Why Weak Sustainability Is Not Enough," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-13, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:11:p:6520-:d:824849. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.