CLIMATE JUSTICE IN URBAN AMAZONIA: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITIES AND THE ROLE OF COP30 IN BELÉM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/arev7n8-088Keywords:
Climate Justice, Urban Amazon, Socio-environmental Vulnerability, COP30, Belem, Sustainable DevelopmentAbstract
This theoretical essay critically examines socio-environmental vulnerabilities in urban areas of the Amazon, focusing on Belém and the upcoming COP30. The Amazon region, vital to the global climate, faces growing challenges due to climate change and disorderly urban expansion. Climate justice is imperative to ensure equity in the distribution of the burdens and benefits of climate policies, especially for disproportionately affected marginalized populations. Amazonian urbanization, driven by deforestation and migration, creates cities with poor infrastructure and high exposure to extreme weather events. COP30 in Belém is a unique opportunity to refocus global climate discussions by integrating local perspectives and the needs of Amazonian communities. We argue that socio-environmental vulnerability in Belém reflects historical and structural inequalities that limit adaptation and resilience. We propose an analytical framework to understand the intersection between climate justice, urbanization, and vulnerability in the Amazon, emphasizing participatory and fair approaches to policy. We fill a gap in the literature by focusing on the urban dimension of the Amazon climate crisis, offering insights for climate governance and sustainable urban development. We conclude that COP30 should catalyze concrete actions to promote climate justice, urban resilience, and the protection of the rights of vulnerable communities in the urban Amazon, transforming global discourse into locally relevant and equitable solutions.
Downloads
References
Angeoletto, F., Fenoglio, M., & Souza, F. (2023). To be a Brazilian city dweller , sometimes we must learn to live with the forest. Sustainability, 15(4), 3699. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043699
Anthony, E. J., Brondizio, E. S., dos Santos, V. F., Gardel, A., & Besset, M. (2021). Sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of the Amazon River Delta and Amazon-Influenced Guianas Coast: A review. Water, 13(1371). https://doi.org/10.3390/w13101371 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/w13101371
Atwoli, L., Erhabor, G. E., Gbakima, A. A., Haileamlak, A., Ntumba, J.-M. K., Kigera, J., Laybourn-Langton, L., Mash, R., Muhia, J., & Mulaudzi, F. M. (2023). COP27 climate change conference: Urgent action needed for Africa and the world. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 138, 104374. https://ecommons.aku.edu/eastafrica_fhs_mc_intern_med/312 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2022.104374
Azevedo, S. G., Sequeira, T., Santos, M., & Nikuma, D. (2020). Climate change and sustainable development: The case of Amazonia and policy implications. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-07725-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-07725-4
Bonatti, M., Erismann, C., Askhabalieva, A., Borba, J., Pope , K., Reynaldo, R., Eufemia, L., Turetta, A. P., & Sieber, S. (2022). Social learning as an underlying mechanism for sustainability in neglected communities: The Brazilian case of the Bucket Revolution project. Environment, Development and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02167-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02167-z
Boulanger, S. O. M., & Massari, M. (2022). Advocating Urban Transition: A Qualitative Review of Institutional and Grassroots Initiatives in Shaping Climate-Aware Cities. Sustainability, 14(5), 2701. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052701 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052701
Bowser, G., Grimm, N. B., Hale, R. L., Cook, E. M., & Hope, D. (2020). Integrating environmental justice into applied ecology research: Somebody else’s problem. Ecological Applications, 30(5), e02149. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2149 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2250
Brando, P. M., Soares-Filho, B., Rodrigues, L., Assunção, A., Morton, D., Tuchschneider, D., Fernandes, E. C. M., Macedo, M. N., Oliveira, U., & Coe, M. T. (2020). The gathering firestorm in southern Amazonia. Science Advances, 6(2), eaay1632. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aay1632 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aay1632
Bucherie, A., Hultquist, C., Adamo, S., Neely, C., Ayala, F., Bazo, J., & Kruczkiewicz, A. (2022). A comparison of social vulnerability indices specific to flooding in Ecuador: Principal component analysis (PCA) and expert knowledge. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 73, 102897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102897 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102897
Byskov, M. F., Hyams, K., Satyal, P., Anguelovski, I., Benjamin, L., Blackburn, S., Borie, M., Caney, S., Chu, E., Edwards, G., Fourie, K., Fraser, A., Heyward, C., Jeans, H., McQuistan, C., Paavola, J., Page, E., Pelling, M., Priest, S., Swiderska, K., ... Venn, A. (Forthcoming). An agenda for ethics and justice in adaptation to climate change. Climate and Development. University of Warwick WRAP. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/130555
Clemençon, R. (2023). 30 years of international climate negotiations: Are they still our best hope? The International Spectator, 58(1), 113–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2023.2167779
Domaradzka, A., Biesaga, M., Domaradzka, E., & Kołodziejczyk, M. (2022). The Civil City Framework for the implementation of nature-based smart innovations: Right to a healthy city perspective. Sustainability, 14(16), 9887. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14169887 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14169887
Drakes, D., & Singh, G. G. (2022). Towards equitable climate change research: Incorporating epistemic justice. Environmental Research Letters, 17(3), 033001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4b8b
Drakes, O., & Tate, E. (2022). Social vulnerability in a multi-hazard context: A systematic review. Environmental Research Letters, 17(3), 033001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5140 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5140
Falk, J., Colwell, R. R., Behera, S. K., El-Beltagy, A. S., Gleick, P. H., Kennel, C. F., Lee, Y. T., Murray, C. A., Serageldin, I., Takeuchi, K., Yasunari, T., Watanabe, C., Kauffman, J., Soderland, K., Elouafi, I., Paroda, R., Chapagain, A. K., Rundle, J., Hanasaki, N., ... Hayashida, S. (2022). An urgent need for COP27: Confronting converging crises. Sustainability Science, 18, 1059–1063. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-022-01253-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-022-01253-5
Fuldauer, L. I., Thacker, S., Haggis, R. A., Fuso-Nerini, F., Nicholls, R. J., & Hall, J. W. (2022). Targeting climate adaptation to safeguard and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Nature Communications, 13, 3579. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31202-w DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31202-w
Glaas, E., Hjerpe, M., & Storbjörk, S. (2022). Disentangling municipal capacities for citizen participation in transformative climate governance. Environmental Policy and Governance, 32(1), 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1951 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1982
Granberg, M., & Glover, L. (2021). The Climate Just City. Sustainability, 13, 1201. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031201 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031201
Guerrero, N., Contreras, M., Chamorro, A., Martínez, C., & Echaveguren, T. (2022). Social vulnerability in Chile: Challenges for multi-scale analysis and disaster risk reduction. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1986141/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1986141/v1
Horn, C. (2023). Brazil’s Amazon Fund: A “green fix” between offset pressures and deforestation crisis. Antipode, 55(6), 1686–1710. https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12932 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12932
Hügel, S., & Davies, A. R. (2020). Public participation, engagement, and climate change adaptation: A review of the research literature. WIREs Climate Change, 11, e645. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.645 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.645
Kiss, B., Sekulova, F., Hörschelmann, K., Salk, C. F., Takahashi, W., & Wamsler, C. (2022). Citizen participation in the governance of nature-based solutions. Environmental Policy and Governance, 32(3), 247–272. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1987 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1987
Lapola, D. M., Pinho, P., Barlow, J., Aragão, L. E. O. C., Berenguer, E., Carmenta, R., Liddy, H. M., Seixas, H., Silva, C. V. J., Silva-Junior, C. H. L., Alencar, A. A. C., Anderson, L. O., Armenteras, D. P., Brovkin, V., Calders, K., Chambers, J., Chini, L., Costa, M. H., Faria, B. L., Fearnside, P. M., Ferreira, J., Gatti, L., Gutierrez-Velez, V. H., Han, Z., Hibbard, K., Koven, C., Lawrence, P., Pongratz, J., Portela, B. T. T., Rounsevell, M. R., Ruane, A. C., Schaldach, R., da Silva, S. S., von Randow, C., Walker, W. S. (2021). The drivers and impacts of Amazon forest degradation. Nature Sustainability, 4(9), 739–746. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00716-w
Lee, S., Dodge, J., & Chen, G. (2022). The cost of social vulnerability: An integrative conceptual framework and model for assessing financial risks in natural disaster management. Natural Hazards, 114, 691–712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05408-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05408-6
Mar, K. A., Schäpke, N., Fraude, C., Bruhn, T., Wamsler, C., Stasiak, D., Schroeder, H., & Lawrence, M. G. (2023). Learning and community building in support of collective action: Toward a new climate of communication at the COP. WIREs Climate Change, 14, e832. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.832 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.832
Mataveli, G., de Oliveira, G., Chaves, M. E. D., Dalagnol, R., Wagner, F. H., Ipia, A. H. S., Silva-Junior, C. H. L., & Aragão, L. E. O. C. (2022). Science-based planning can support law enforcement actions to curb deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Conservation Letters, 15(5), e12908. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12908 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12908
Nagel, M., & Schäfer, M. (2023). Powerful stories of local climate action: Comparing the evolution of narratives using the “narrative rate” index. Review of Policy Research, 40(6), 1093–1119. https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12545 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12545
Olsson, D. (2022). From technocracy to democracy: Ways to promote democratic engagement for just climate change adaptation and resilience building. Sustainability, 14(3), 1433. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031433 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031433
Pokorny, B., Pacheco, P., de Jong, W., & Entenmann, S. K. (2021). Forest frontiers out of control: The long-term effects of discourses, policies, and markets on conservation and development of the Brazilian Amazon. Ambio, 50, 2199–2223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01637-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01637-4
Ribeiro, R. M., Amaral, S., Monteiro, A. M. V., & Dal'Asta, A. P. (2022). "Cities in the forest" and "cities of the forest": An environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) spatial approach to analyzing the urbanization-deforestation relationship in a Brazilian Amazon state. Ecology and Society, 27(2), 1. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-13224-270201 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-13224-270201
Rochedo, P. R. R., Soares-Filho, B., Schaeffer, R., Viola, E., Szklo, A., Lucena, A. F. P., Koberle, A., Davis, J. L., Rajão, R., & Rathmann, R. (2018). The threat of political bargaining to climate mitigation in Brazil. Nature Climate Change, 8(8), 695–698. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0213-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0213-y
Silva Junior, C. A. da, Lima, M., Teodoro, P. E., Oliveira-Júnior, J. F., Rossi, F. S., Funatsu, B. M., Butturi, W., Lourençoni, T., Kraeski, A., Pelissari, T. D., Moratelli, F. A., Arvor, D., Luz, I. M. dos S., Teodoro, L. P. R., Dubreuil, V., & Teixeira, V. M. (2022). Fires drive long-term environmental degradation in the Amazon Basin. Remote Sensing, 14(338). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14020338 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14020338
Silva-Junior, C. H. L., Silva, F. B., Arisi, B. M., Mataveli, G., Pessôa, A. C. M., Carvalho, N. S., Reis, J. B. C., Silva Júnior, A. R., Motta, N. A. C. S., Silva, P. V. M., Ribeiro, F. D., Siqueira-Gay, J., Alencar, A., Saatchi, S., Aragão, L. E. O. C., Anderson, L. O., & Melo, M. (2023). Brazilian Amazon indigenous territories under deforestation pressure. Scientific Reports, 13, 5851. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32746-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32746-7
Souza, F. L., Fenoglio, M. S., & Angeoletto, F. (2023). To be a Brazilian city dweller, sometimes we must learn to say enough! Sustainability, 15(4), 3699. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043699 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043699
Taylor, P. J. (2023). The geographical ontology challenge in attending to anthropogenic climate change: Regional geography revisited. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, 114(2), 63–70. https://doi.org/10.1111/tesg.12540 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/tesg.12540
Viola, E., & Franchini, M. (2020). Mind the climate policy gaps: Climate change public policy in Brazil (2000–2018). Climatic Change, 158(3), 375–393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-019-02646-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-019-02646-9
Wen, J., Wan, C., Ye, Q., Yan, J., & Li, W. (2023). Disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and their linkages with sustainable development over the past 30 years: A review. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 14, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-023-00472-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-023-00472-3
Wynne, B. (2021). Citizen science and the right to research: Building local capacities. Public Understanding of Science, 30(3), 270–282. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662521994448
Wynne, B., Irwin, A., & Chilvers, J. (2022). Citizen science in deliberative systems: Participation without power? Science, Technology, & Human Values, 47(6), 1125–1149. https://doi.org/10.1177/01622439221118321
Xu, X., Zhang, X., Riley, W. J., Xue, Y., Nobre, C. A., Lovejoy, T. E., & Jia, G. (2022). Deforestation triggering irreversible transition in Amazon hydrological cycle. Environmental Research Letters, 17, 034037. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4c1d DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4c1d
Zhang, L., & Bai, E. (2023). The regime complexes for global climate governance. Sustainability, 15, 9077. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15119077 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15119077
Zhang, Y., Li, C., & Zhou, D. (2022). Climate change and COP27: Urgent global action required. Nature Climate Policy Review, 18(11), 957–960. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01506-8
