Perspectives on the Challenges for Sustainable Development in Latin America
Latin America is virtually the world’s most biodiverse region on the planet. It is known for having the largest forested surface of any continent, the second largest reserves for oil deposits following the Middle East, and the greatest proportion of arable land per person outside of North America. Major challenges for sustainable development reflect a rift between conceptualizing nature as a private good with nature as a public good providing certain functions. Determining the appropriate approach for policy that encourages less waste and more conservation of resources is imperative. The capacity of human life is dependent on the ecological functions of the environment. The LA regions ecosystems are extremely important to the globe and include five of the ten most biodiverse countries on Earth. However, after many years of industrialization and other eco-threatening human activities Latin America is experiencing inter alia, deforestation, pollution, the effects of climate change, and, significant wildlife extinction rates. There is no easy solution, as the activities of all walks of life are responsible for much environmental degradation. Our sessions will explore the dynamics of sustainable development in Latin America.
Ideas for presentations:
- Resource dependence
- Renewable energy
- Land and property rights
- Policy narratives
- Foreign investment
- Extractionism
- Community driven development
- The role of institutions
Besides the sessions on Sustainability, our working group is organizing a joint session with the Urban and Regional Economics working group. This session is supposed to be a space for debating less formally and connecting people from both groups. All presenters, as well as our mentors, are encouraged not only to participate but also to raise questions for the debate.
Questions concerning this call may be sent to [email protected]
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