The Securitisation of Brazil's Environment under the Bolsonaro Administration
Author
Posta, Janni
Term
4. term
Publication year
2020
Submitted on
2020-05-29
Pages
68
Abstract
Da Jair Bolsonaro, en tidligere hærs-kaptajn med stærkt højreorienterede synspunkter, blev valgt i 2018, ventede omverdenen på, om han ville "åbne Amazonas for forretning" som lovet for at styrke handel og økonomi. Samtidig er miljøsikkerhed blevet et centralt emne: at behandle miljøproblemer som sikkerhedsspørgsmål, der kan kræve ekstraordinære tiltag. Brasilien har derfor fået opmærksomhed i analyser af afskovning, forbindelser til oprindelige folk og betydningen for de såkaldte "verdens lunger". Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan Bolsonaro og hans regering talte om – og handlede i forhold til – at securitisere miljøet i Brasilien; det vil sige at gøre miljøet til et sikkerhedsanliggende. Med Kritisk Diskursanalyse (udviklet af Norman Fairclough) analyseres interviews med Bolsonaro og hans ministre, talen ved åbningen af FN’s 74. Generalforsamling samt governance-forslaget og den Nationale Udviklingsplan. Med udgangspunkt i securitiseringsteori vurderer specialet, om regeringen tog skridt til at fremstille miljøet som et sikkerhedsanliggende, der kræver særlige tiltag. Analysen finder, at sproget i materialet i sig selv ikke tydeligt peger på forsøg på at securitisere Amazonas. Når udsagnene sættes i kontekst, ses dog skift i Bolsonaros retorik – og især i handlinger – som kan tolkes som tidlige skridt mod securitisering. Konklusionen er, at Bolsonaros diskurs ikke prioriterer miljøet, fordi andre temaer som offentlig sikkerhed fylder mere. Internationalt pres har dog medført ændringer, der kan bane vej for fremtidig securitisering.
When Jair Bolsonaro, a former army captain with far-right views, was elected in 2018, observers watched to see whether he would "open the Amazon for business" as promised, to boost trade and the wider economy. At the same time, environmental security—treating environmental problems as security issues that may require exceptional measures—had become a prominent topic. Brazil therefore drew attention for analyses of deforestation, links to Indigenous peoples, and the impact on the so‑called "lungs of the world." This thesis examines how Bolsonaro and his administration talked about and acted on securitising the environment in Brazil—that is, framing the environment as a security issue. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (developed by Norman Fairclough), it analyzes interviews with Bolsonaro and his ministers, the address at the opening of the 74th United Nations General Assembly, and both the Proposal for Governance and the National Development Plan. Based on securitisation theory, the study assesses whether the administration took steps to present the environment as a security matter requiring special measures. The study finds that the language in these sources alone does not clearly indicate attempts to securitise the Amazon. However, when read in context, there are shifts in Bolsonaro’s rhetoric—and especially in actions—that can be seen as early steps toward securitisation. In sum, Bolsonaro’s discourse did not prioritize the environment, as other issues such as public security took precedence. Yet international pressure has prompted changes that could lead to securitisation in the future.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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