Extractive Reserves: Building Natural Assets in the Brazilian Amazon

摘要: Introduction Brazil occupies four-fifths of the Amazon Basin and is home to world's largest remaining area tropical rainforest, 3.5 million square kilometres (km2). Despite three decades settlement intensive development, forest still relatively intact compared with similar areas elsewhere. The region an increasingly important source natural assets for both regional national economic growth, provides livelihood support a population several million. In addition, supplies key environmental services in terms conservation biological diversity, climate regulation watershed management, as well sequestering estimated 10 per cent global carbon emissions. Traditional forest-dwelling populations such rubber tappers indigenous groups have been stewards resource base Amazonia through their use non-destructive technologies at low demographic densities. As frontier has advanced, however, they come under growing peril from rent-seeking interests that threaten destroy people's livelihoods it. Official policies tended reward predatory forms occupation generous subsidies, while ignoring ecological provided by local populations. Brazil's were first social group pose major challenge this ‘development’ model. Making pre-emptive strike against cattle ranchers land speculators, appropriated themselves large risk becoming ‘open access’ all comers seeking profits.