Covid-19 and the Politics of Climate Governance in the Amazon

In the Amazon deforestation and fires have soared since the Brazilian far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, took office in January 2019, vowing to end the “fines industry” of environment agencies and develop the rainforest.

This has consequences for deforestation – and thus for the global climate. It also severely affects the indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic has put in relief the importance of governance – everywhere, but not least in the Amazon, as deforestation is increasing due to lack of monitoring, and the corona-virus is spreading in the indigenous population with devastating effects.

The seminar will discuss the current policies for the Amazon in light of the pandemic,  and discuss the effects for the indigenous and local population. The situation in Brazil will be compared to that of two other Amazonian countries, Peru and Colombia.

We ask: what should be done to limit the harm to the rainforest and its peoples – and what can the international community do to push?

Program:

Introduction by Brenda Brito (Senior Researcher, Imazon) 

Brenda Brito has a JSD degree from Stanford Law School and is an Associate Researcher at Imazon (Instituto do Homem E Meio Ambiente da Amazônia), in Brazil. 

Panel:

Siri Gloppen, Professor University of Bergen (moderator)

Conrado H. Mendes, Professor of Law and the Univeristy of Sao Paulo

Danielle Rached, Professor at FGV Law School, Rio de Janeiro

Catalina Vallejo, University of Bergen

Camila Gianella, Chr. Michelsen Insitute

This webinar is part of the course in "The Global Climate Governance Regime” at Bergen Summer Research School.