The foreign policy of Brazil and its impacts on civil society: Hydroelectric development in the Amazon
Author
Bondesen, Rasmus Bjerg
Term
4. term
Publication year
2018
Submitted on
2018-05-31
Pages
61
Abstract
This thesis examines how Brazil’s foreign policy shapes the expansion of hydropower in the Amazon and what this development means for civil society. Against the backdrop of Latin America’s growing commitment to renewables—where hydropower remains the dominant source—it analyzes Brazil’s strategic investment in large dams as part of its pursuit of regional leadership, energy security, and support for energy‑intensive export sectors such as aluminum, as well as the country’s role in the CDM and international climate negotiations. The study asks two main questions: Which factors contributed to the rise of hydropower in Brazil between 1997 and 2017, and how has this expansion affected civil society? Methodologically, it applies a qualitative case study centered on the Belo Monte dam, drawing on document analysis of policies, international agreements, and secondary sources. Theoretically, it employs Global Environmental Governance and power relations frameworks, including Clegg’s Circuits of Power, to explore tensions between renewable energy ambitions and the social and environmental costs borne by affected communities and environmental activism. The excerpt does not include the results section, so specific findings are not presented here.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan Brasiliens udenrigspolitik former udbygningen af vandkraft i Amazonas, og hvilke konsekvenser denne udvikling har for civilsamfundet. På baggrund af Latinamerikas voksende satsning på vedvarende energi – hvor vandkraft fortsat er den dominerende kilde – analyseres Brasiliens strategiske investeringer i store dæmninger som led i ambitionen om regionalt lederskab, energisikkerhed og støtte til energiintensive eksportsektorer som aluminium, samt i lyset af landets rolle i CDM og internationale klimaforhandlinger. Specialet stiller to centrale spørgsmål: Hvilke faktorer har bidraget til stigningen i vandkraft i Brasilien i perioden 1997–2017, og hvilken betydning har denne udvikling haft for civilsamfundet? Metodisk anvendes et kvalitativt casestudie med Belo Monte-dæmningen som omdrejningspunkt, baseret på dokumentanalyse af politikker, internationale aftaler og sekundære kilder. Teoretisk bygger analysen på Global Environmental Governance og magtrelationer, herunder Clegg’s Circuits of Power, for at belyse spændingsfeltet mellem grøn omstilling og sociale samt miljømæssige omkostninger for berørte lokalsamfund og miljøaktivisme. Uddraget indeholder ikke resultatafsnittet, og konkrete fund præsenteres derfor ikke her.
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