Shared natural resources, infrastructure projects and regional integration in the Amazon Basin
inferences from the La Plata Basin
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22456/2178-8839.146834Keywords:
Amazon; La Plata Basin; transboundary waters.Abstract
This paper analyzes the relationship between the management of shared natural resources, infrastructure projects, and regional integration in the Amazon Basin, using the experiences of the La Plata Basin as a reference. The objective is to understand how the governance of transboundary waters and the development of infrastructure can contribute to building a robust cooperation agenda among Amazonian countries. The research adopts a comparative historical analysis methodology, drawing on primary sources – such as official documents and institutional reports – and secondary sources, particularly academic literature. The analysis shows that, unlike the La Plata Basin, where cooperation around water resources and infrastructure fostered interdependence and led to the creation of institutional frameworks such as the CIC, the Amazon Basin follows a trajectory marked by tensions surrounding sovereignty and a low degree of institutionalized cooperation. It concludes that the experiences from the La Plata Basin may guide the strengthening of the OTCA and the advancement of an integrated and sustainable regional agenda for the Amazon, as recently proposed by the Belém Declaration.
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