Nearly half of the world’s tropical forests are found in the region, next to several other natural biomes, which together carry a wealth of biodiversity. It holds one-third of the world’s freshwater reserves and one-quarter of the potential arable land. And despite five centuries of extractive activities to serve global markets, the region still holds large volumes of important mineral reserves, including oil, gas, iron, copper and gold (Bovarnick, Alpizar and Schnell, 2010). On the other hand, this 'biodiversity superpower' has seen a fast rate of biodiversity loss, increasing ecosystem degradation and one-third of the world’s carbon emissions, mostly a result of the expansion of extractive activities and land-use change (UNEP, 2012). Together, these economic and ecological developments affect a large number of different social groups in all Latin American countries, primarily in rural areas but also in cities. Next to mobilizations and conflicts that attract national and international attention, there are numerous local socioenvironmental tensions that lead to longstanding economic problems and social injustice.

The contributors investigate a broad range of emerging socio-environmental challenges faced by contemporary Latin America. By using environmental governance as an overarching analytical concept, they cross territorial, sectorial, and institutional boundaries to address the nature/society nexus.

Environmental Governance in Latin America

• Fabio de Castro, Barbara Hogenboom & Michiel Baud (Eds.).  
• Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. New York, 2016
• ISBN: 978 11 3757 408 4