International relations and the Amazon in the Anthropocene

• Type: Chapter or Part of a Book
• Date: 2025

Authors

Pereira, Joana Castro (Author) FLUP; Terrenas, João (Author) Other; Sousa, Inês Ferreira de (Author) Other

Book

Title: The Anthropocene, ontopolitics, and international relations

Pages: 17-38

ISBN: 978-981-96-2924-4 (hbk); 978-981-96-2927-5 (pbk)

Electronic ISBN: 978-981-96-2925-1

Publisher: Springer Singapore

Other information

DOI: 10.1007/978-981-96-2925-1_2

Abstract (EN): While crucial for protecting the planet from the potentially catastrophic effects of human-induced climate change, the Amazon remains overlooked in the agenda of International Relations (IR). This chapter argues that the region offers significant contributions to advancing the discussion about IR and/in the Anthropocene. After framing the emergence of this proposed new geological epoch as a concern for the discipline, the chapter explores key areas that illustrate the analytical, ontological, and ethico-political opportunities that can arise from a more systematic engagement with the Amazon. It posits that turning towards the Amazon can enable IR to develop a deeper understanding of four significant themes: the transformative potential of relational, sociocultural approaches to land governance and the bioeconomy; regional conceptions and experiences of more than-human personhood and community formation; the transnational politics of freshwater ecosystems and hydrological connectivity; and the interspecific risks and threats of environmental militarisation. Finally, bridging the gap between the Amazon and IR also allows us to identify alternative approaches that can help protect this region and mitigate the threats and vulnerabilities faced by its multiple socio-ecological communities. These include examining Amazonian animal cultures, mapping structural, more-than-human injustices on a global scale that connect populations in the region with distant others, and integrating the concept of “ecological reflexivity” into regional policy.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific