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Deforestation in the Amazon: Teaching Notes, Schemes and Mind Maps of Environmental Science

Harvard UniversityEnvironmental Science

Teaching notes on the topic of deforestation in the Amazon. It includes discussion questions, essay questions, and further discussion topics related to the ecological, social, and economic implications of deforestation in the Amazon. The document also explores the role of national and international policies, regional cooperation, and commodity chains in addressing deforestation. It is a useful resource for students studying environmental issues, sustainability, and international relations.

Typology: Schemes and Mind Maps

2022/2023

Uploaded on 03/14/2023

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TEACHING NOTES
CFR Deforestation in the Amazon InfoGuide
By Eve Bratman.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is at stake globally if deforestation in the Amazon significantly increases?
2. What does the concept of the “tipping point” mean when we think about Amazonian
deforestation? Which ecological cycles would be irreversibly altered, and what are the
implications of those changes?
3. How does forest loss in the Amazon relate to other environmental issues, such as water
resources, climate change, biodiversity?
4. What are some of the social issues that are connected to the problem of deforestation? How
could reducing deforestation help to address these concerns?
5. What are the types of land uses that contribute the most toward the problems of
deforestation? What types of land uses tend to mitigate or prevent deforestation?
6. How have national and global environmental agreements on deforestation in the Amazon
faired in the past?
7. To what extent have historical national and international policies been effective in addressing
deforestation – and why do you think some policies have been more effective than others?
8. How can encouraging transparency in commodity chains reduce deforestation?
9. Why are creating conservation areas and indigenous parks important as strategies to reduce
Amazonian deforestation?
10. To what extent is deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon something that Brazil alone should
handle? What can other nations do to support Brazilian efforts at combatting deforestation?
11. What are some things that can be done to protect the Amazon rainforest and at the same time
address Brazil’s perceived need for economic growth?
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TEACHING NOTES

CFR Deforestation in the Amazon InfoGuide By Eve Bratman.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is at stake globally if deforestation in the Amazon significantly increases?
  2. What does the concept of the “tipping point” mean when we think about Amazonian deforestation? Which ecological cycles would be irreversibly altered, and what are the implications of those changes?
  3. How does forest loss in the Amazon relate to other environmental issues, such as water resources, climate change, biodiversity?
  4. What are some of the social issues that are connected to the problem of deforestation? How could reducing deforestation help to address these concerns?
  5. What are the types of land uses that contribute the most toward the problems of deforestation? What types of land uses tend to mitigate or prevent deforestation?
  6. How have national and global environmental agreements on deforestation in the Amazon faired in the past?
  7. To what extent have historical national and international policies been effective in addressing deforestation – and why do you think some policies have been more effective than others?
  8. How can encouraging transparency in commodity chains reduce deforestation?
  9. Why are creating conservation areas and indigenous parks important as strategies to reduce Amazonian deforestation?
  10. To what extent is deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon something that Brazil alone should handle? What can other nations do to support Brazilian efforts at combatting deforestation?
  11. What are some things that can be done to protect the Amazon rainforest and at the same time address Brazil’s perceived need for economic growth?

Further Discussion (Extra Credit):

  1. What is the role of regional cooperation in South America in tackling Amazonian deforestation, and what are some of the cooperation challenges that this set of countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela) faces?
  2. Describe the Amazon’s “arc of deforestation,” and discuss the socio, economic, cultural, and political issues at play along its frontier.
  3. Current policies in the Amazon concentrate on avoiding deforestation and increasing the productivity of deforested landscapes. To what extent should policies focus on reforestation efforts instead?

Essay Questions:

  1. How has the Amazon come to be seen as a source of economic prosperity for Brazil? How, if at all, do you think this view is changing over time as Amazonian forest resources are protected instead of deforested? Explain and justify your argument with examples of Amazonian development and forest protection initiatives.
  2. How much influence can local, national and international actors play in reducing deforestation? Analyze how different stakeholders who care about the Amazon region may contribute to the problems of deforestation, and/or work toward the resolution of deforestation problems. Be sure to identify major challenges and specific initiatives, historical and present-day, to support your argument.
  3. In the course of international environmental negotiations. The Brazilian government has argued that the concern of countries like the U.S. for Brazilian deforestation was hypocritical in that deforestation has been central to development in other nations. At the Copenhagen climate change summit, President Lula said “We want to preserve, but they [gringos] will have to pay the price for this preservation because we never destroyed our forest like they mowed theirs down a century ago.” Given these concerns, what policy response do you think is the most appropriate for the U.S. and other wealthy countries to take in regard to deforestation in the Amazon?
  4. How does deforestation in the Amazon affect the productivity of landscapes? Explain some of the steps that international policy makers, federal officials, and international businesses and consumers can take to make sure that there is no new deforestation in the Amazon, while still achieving social and economic benefits from the region’s resources. Be sure to explain some of the opportunities and challenges for conservation and sustainability in your essay.

Part II: Plenary. Students from each team should then report to the whole class on key lines of disagreement in each meeting, and what, if any, common ground was found. Discuss the different and often competing interests that each of these groups hold, and how these interests shape the complex political dynamics of deforestation in the Amazon. Discuss the importance of coordination and negotiations among stakeholders in achieving an overall decline in deforestation in the Amazon.

3. Foreign Policy Implications: Testimony Instruct students to imagine that they are in a high-level advocacy position at an environmental conservation organization and have been invited to speak before Congress on why support for reducing Amazonian deforestation should be a U.S. foreign policy concern. Have them write a testimony that clearly articulates the risks and negative consequences of Amazonian deforestation in terms of US national interests. Testimonies should be sensitive to Brazilian Amazonian community needs and Brazilian national sovereignty concerns over Amazonian territory, in addition to U.S. interests. Make sure testimonies address historical and current factors that contribute to deforestation, and the positive benefits of reducing deforestation. The rationale for how curbing deforestation is linked to U.S. foreign policy should be clear and specific actions for the United States to take should be suggested. Have students deliver testimonies over one or more class periods. Discuss as a class which testimonies were the most persuasive and why. 4. Strategies for Reducing Deforestation: Proposal Writing Divide students into small groups and ask them to respond to a request for proposals (RFP) from a donor looking to fund a project (or otherwise devote resources) to reduce deforestation and/or conduct reforestation in Brazil’s Amazon region. Proposals should include an overarching goal, specific objectives, and activities for implementation and describe relevant partner organizations involved in the project. They should also include clear indicators of success and a plan for monitoring and evaluating the project.

Optional: In addition to having students submit their proposals in written form, organize a role play in which students present their proposals and you, the instructor, act as the donor. Be sure to ask students plenty of questions. Conclude by selecting one project to receive the funding, and lead a full class debrief on why this particular project was chosen. For example RFPs, see http://www.npguides.org/.