Structural dimensions, regional and global dynamics of the Amazon

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to present structural, regional, and global elements that allow for an understanding of the historical, social, economic, political, and environmental processes that shape the Amazon region and place it at the center of the global ecological crisis. The paper examines how the Amazon's integration into the regional and global economy exacerbates socio-ecological contradictions. This is a multiscale and multidimensional phenomenon that requires a multidisciplinary approach. Therefore, the Amazon must be conceived, from an ecosystem perspective, as a complex and dynamic structure whose resilience depends on the preservation of ecological connectivity, the guarantee of social justice, the strengthening of multilevel governance, and the consolidation of effective mechanisms for international cooperation. The Great Acceleration, the tipping point, neo-extractivism, environmental justice, and the critical Anthropocene are presented as important categories of analysis that allow us to understand the contemporary socio-environmental phenomena and dynamics operating in the region. It is concluded that it is essential for the Amazon to build a new paradigm of regional governance that articulates socio-environmental justice, climate stability,. and increased cooperation in the region.