Governance of land-use change: a collaboration to understand the impacts of institutional arrangements on Amazonian forest resource use

• Grant number: 13/50105-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2013
• End date: May 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Agreement: University of Michigan
• Principal Investigator: Patricia Fernanda Do Pinho
• Grantee: Patricia Fernanda Do Pinho
• Principal researcher abroad: Arun Agrawal
• Institution abroad: University of Michigan, United States
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Land-use and land-cover change in Brazilian Amazonia presents environmental, economic and social challenges at local, national and global scales. Policies and incentives can promote more sustainable land-use decision-making, but need the support of effective institutional arrangements. A current FAPESP-funded Project is incorporating social and institutional variables into Land Use and Land Cover (LULCC) models, in agriculture-forest landscapes in the State of Pará. This proposed Exchange between researchers at the Nacional Institute for Space Research (INPE), Brazil, and the University of Michigan, USA, will facilitate the Exchange of knowledge and ideas about the relationship between institucional arrangements and forest resource use. Specifically, the collaboration will: 1) develop research partnerships and capacity between various USA and Brazilian institutions; 2) extend the current research into Amazonian protected areas; 3) act as a proof-of-concept for a larger-scale future grant. The combined capacity of the UM and INPE researchers will enable a breadth and depth of research and understanding that would be difficult for either group to achieve independently. (AU)