Recently, Brazil registered one of the fastest economy growth rates in the world: in 2010, its GDP annual growth was of 7.5%. Despite a remarkable reduction of this figure during the following years, forecasts predict that the recovery will take place within few years. This rapid economic growth translates in an increasing stress on the numerous natural resources, in one of the world’s wealthiest countries from this point of view. As an example, Brazil is the richest country in the world as regards water. Consequently, the country will probably face a major challenge in counter-balancing the fast GDP growth with the sustainability concept and the integrated management of major development installations.
This paper aims to study the current and potential future conflictual impacts of the Brazilian development strategies, in two different areas: firstly, the analysis of the consequences on food and land security will be carried out by focusing on the land-grabbing and biofuels themes; secondly, an assessment of the conflicts related to the displacement of indigenous villages in the hydroelectric power plants pre-construction phase will be conducted. Biofuels play an important role also in the growing demand for water in Brazil.
The implications of these developments for the Human Security landscape in the country are directly linked to the overwhelming global theme of Climate Change: Brazil is strongly committed to reduce its GHG emissions, but, as will be seen further, this target often justifies economical choices, agricultural policies and energy strategies which negatively rebound on the local communities who live nearby the development sites, affecting their social lives and livelihoods, as in the case of dams building.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Food Security and Land-Grabbing
2.1. Facts and ongoing developments
2.2. Analysis
3. Water: dropping rights
3.1. Factual situation and recent developments
3.2. The role of biofuels
3.3. Analysis
3.4. Concluding Remarks
4. Conclusion
5. Sources
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The paper examines the conflictual impacts of Brazil's development strategies regarding food security, land rights, and water availability, specifically investigating how biofuel expansion and hydroelectric infrastructure projects influence human security and socio-environmental justice in the context of climate change mitigation.
- Analysis of land-grabbing and food security implications of biofuel production.
- Assessment of conflict related to the displacement of indigenous communities for hydroelectric dams.
- Evaluation of the "Human Security" landscape in relation to Brazil’s greenhouse gas reduction targets.
- Exploration of the competition between industrial energy production and local access to natural resources.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Water: dropping rights
Brazil has the 17% of the world’s water. However, its water resources are unevenly distributed from a geographical point of view. As noted by Clevelario et al. (2005: 1), Brazilian water resources are not homogeneously distributed on the national territory. The Amazonian region concentrates the majority of these resources, but it is the least populated area, while the highly inhabited North-East Region (considered the largest semi-arid area in the world) registers high water scarcity for long periods during the year.
Recent developments confirm the high needs of water in the Eastern areas of the country, which have to be satisfied by exploiting the Amazonian basin resources. The ongoing Belo Monte Dam project on the Xingu River (a South-Eastern tributary of the Amazon), for example, has attracted opposition by the local affected communities, claiming that the dam could displace up to 40,000 people and impact nearly 579 square miles of the Amazon River basin.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the tension between Brazil's rapid economic growth and the sustainable management of its natural resources, introducing the research focus on biofuels and hydroelectric power.
2. Food Security and Land-Grabbing: Investigates the market evolution of biofuel crops and the subsequent social exclusion and environmental damage caused by the conversion of land for soy production.
3. Water: dropping rights: Examines the unequal distribution of water resources in Brazil and the conflict arising from hydroelectric dam projects and the high water demands of biofuel cultivation.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the conflictual impacts of current development patterns, emphasizing the urgent need for a shift in resource management to prevent socio-environmental risks.
5. Sources: Provides a comprehensive list of journal articles, books, and online official publications used to support the research.
Keywords
Brazil, Biofuels, Hydropower, Human Security, Sustainable Development, Climate Change, Food Security, Land-Grabbing, Indigenous Communities, Water Scarcity, Deforestation, Socio-environmental Justice, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Renewable Energy, Environmental Refugees
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the conflictual impacts of Brazilian development strategies, specifically examining the intersection of biofuel production and hydroelectric power expansion with food security, land rights, and water availability.
What are the central thematic fields addressed in the work?
The core themes include Human Security, Climate Change mitigation policies, land use change, and the socio-economic effects of large-scale infrastructure projects on local and indigenous populations.
What is the primary research goal?
The objective is to analyze how Brazil's pursuit of economic growth and climate change commitments impacts vulnerable local communities through the lens of land and water resource management.
Which scientific methods or approaches are utilized?
The author employs a socio-legal and political ecology analysis, reviewing existing literature, official reports, and case studies to assess the systemic conflict between industrial development and human rights.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body is divided into investigations of the land-grabbing phenomenon driven by biofuel crops and an analysis of the environmental and social conflicts resulting from the exploitation of water resources for energy.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Biofuels, Hydropower, Human Security, Brazil, Land-Grabbing, and Socio-environmental Justice.
How does the author define the relationship between biofuel production and food security?
The author argues that while biofuel crops may not directly compete with food for land in all scenarios, the shift toward intensive soy cultivation risks increasing food insecurity and driving deforestation, which undermines broader sustainability goals.
What specific concerns does the paper raise regarding the Belo Monte Dam?
The paper highlights that the project faces significant opposition due to the projected displacement of up to 40,000 people and its massive impact on the Amazon River basin's ecosystem.
Why does the author discuss "environmental refugees"?
The term is used to describe the phenomenon where individuals are forced to abandon their rural livelihoods due to land concentration and resource exploitation, subsequently migrating to urban outskirts, which exacerbates social inequality.
- Quote paper
- Roberto Cui (Author), 2014, Food and Water in Brazil. Current and potential conflicts, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/282683
