The Scientific, Social, and Economic Dimensions of Development in the Amazon

On September 24, 2018, the Wilson Center hosted a full-day workshop on the impact of the Amazon on global climate trends and current efforts to support sustainable development and conservation in the region, in partnership with the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the National Institute of Amazon Research (INPA), and with the support of the Alcoa Foundation.

Presenters discussed cutting edge research on the role of the Amazon in regulating regional and global climate, as well as the issues of sustainable development, biodiversity, and deforestation. The event explored aspects of the climate, ecosystem functioning, and related socioeconomic issues associated with the current project of Amazonian development.

The September 24th workshop in Washington, DC was the second to explore these themes, following a full-day event in Manaus, Brazil on August 16, 2018. To learn more, click here.

Program Agenda

8:30        Registration and Coffee

9:00        Welcome Session

                 Paulo Sotero, Director, Brazil Institute

                Paulo Artaxo, São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

                Rita Mesquita, Senior Researcher, National Institute of Amazon Research (INPA)

                Welcome video with Thomas Lovejoy, UN Foundation and George Mason University

9:15        The Close Links Between the Biology of Amazonia and the Climate

                Paulo Artaxo, Professor, University of São Paulo (USP)

10:00     Remote Sensing of Amazon Deforestation

                Douglas Morton, Earth Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

10:45     Coffee Break

11:00     The Ecosystem and Physiological Control of the Carbon Balance in Amazonia

                Celso von Randow, Researcher, National Institute for Space Research (INPE)

11:45     The Current and Future Climate in Amazonia and its Impact

   José Marengo, Senior Researcher, National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of  Natural Disasters (CEMADEM)

12:30     Lunch (buffet for participants)

1:30        Economic Incentives for Halting Deforestation in the Amazon

    Gustavo Fonseca, Director of Programs, Global Environment Facility 

2:15        The Role of Research Institutions in Fostering Development in the Amazon

    Rita Mesquita, Senior Researcher, National Institute of Amazon Research (INPA)

3:00        The Role of the Private Sector in Sustainable Development in the Amazon

    Fábio Abdala, Alcoa Foundation

3:45        Discussion Session and Closing Remarks

Remote Sensing of Amazon Deforestation

(video courtesy of Douglas Morton/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)