Revista de Estudios Brasileños

Guest edited by Professors Denise Vitale (Universidade Federal da Bahia – UFBA, Brazil) and Danielle Hanna Rached (Universidade de São Paulo – USP, Brazil), this dossier brings together ten articles and one interview examining the Amazon within the contemporary context of international relations, with particular attention to the challenges surrounding COP30, held in Belém in 2025. As a region that plays a pivotal role in maintaining the global climate balance, the Amazon has become central to debates on climate change, biodiversity, socio-environmental justice, and sustainable development.

The region is home to extraordinary biological, cultural, and social diversity, while simultaneously facing growing pressures arising from environmentally destructive economic activities, environmental degradation, and disputes over the use of natural resources. This context underscores the need to strengthen governance mechanisms capable of reconciling environmental conservation, economic development, and the protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples and traditional communities.

The contributions gathered in this issue explore these challenges from interdisciplinary perspectives. They address topics such as climate governance, climate adaptation, climate justice, climate-induced migration, social protests, political participation, and social mobilization. They also examine the role played by multilateral institutions, particularly the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO/OTCA), as well as the Conferences of the Parties (COPs), as key arenas for negotiation and the development of collective responses to the global climate crisis.

Special attention is devoted to the role of social movements, women, and Indigenous peoples, whose increasing participation has expanded their influence within international climate and biodiversity negotiations. At the same time, the articles highlight the institutional constraints, democratic challenges, and implementation gaps that continue to limit effective environmental governance across the Amazon region.

By combining empirical research with theoretical reflection, this dossier contributes to current debates on the contemporary challenges facing the Amazon. It emphasizes the importance of fostering more inclusive, legitimate, and effective decision-making processes capable of addressing the global climate crisis while promoting sustainable development and safeguarding both the rainforest and the peoples who depend on it.