Biodiversity

Managing the Planet's Freshwater

"The impact of human activities on the planet and on its biology has risen to a scale that deserves a commensurate response," said Tom Lovejoy, professor at George Mason University, introducing a discussion on "Managing the Planet's Freshwater," the second of a monthly series led jointly by George Mason University and the Woodrow Wilson Center. Karin M.

A Review of Brazil's Environmental Policies and Challenges Ahead

Stressing the need for concrete, tangible institutional policies, Izabella Teixeira, Brazil's minister of the environment, discussed the challenges and goals of her ministry in the coming years.

Meeting the Needs of Latin America's Rural and Urban Populations

There are two Latin Americas according to demographers. In one of the most urbanized regions of the world, the population of some countries remains highly rural. While countries like Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay are close to 90 percent urbanized, much of Central America, as well as Ecuador, Paraguay, and Bolivia, are only about 50-60 percent urban.

Emerging Trends in Environment and Economic Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean

Economic development and environmental sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean are intrinsically connected, as evidenced by the July 22, 2010 seminar organized by the Woodrow Wilson Centers' Brazil Institute, on behalf of the Latin American Program, and co-sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The seminar presented the report "Emerging Trends in Environment and Economic Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean," which identifies key trends likely to shape the economy and natural environment in Latin America and the Caribbean for the next 10 years.

Brazil at a Crossroads: Repercussions of Embracing Genetically Modified Agriculture

The Brazil Project and Environmental Change and Security Program co-hosted a conference on the debate over genetically modified (GM) agriculture in Brazil.

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: Innovations and Challenges in Environmental Policy

Minister Silva began by highlighting the historical context in which current Brazilian environment policy for the Amazon is rooted. She stressed that the Amazon encompasses the largest biodiversity in the world, an estimated 20% of known living species, 9% of the planet's freshwater and around 220 indigenous peoples who speak some 180 different languages. In the last decade, several important initiatives have been launched. One of these policies eliminated many fiscal incentives and credit lines that encouraged deforestation and the predatory occupation of the region.