Description
Product ID: | 9781138212459 |
Product Form: | Paperback / softback |
Country of Manufacture: | GB |
Series: | Routledge Studies in Sustainable Development |
Title: | Environmental Politics in Latin America |
Subtitle: | Elite dynamics, the left tide and sustainable development |
Authors: | Author: Benedicte Bull, Mariel Aguilar-Stoen |
Page Count: | 220 |
Subjects: | Regional / International studies, Regional studies, Development studies, Ethnic studies, Politics and government, Human geography, Regional geography, Climate change, Environmental science, engineering and technology, Development studies, Hispanic & Latino studies, Politics & government, Human geography, Regional geography, Climate change, Environmental science, engineering & technology |
Description: | Based on case-studies in eight Latin American countries, this book investigates the extent to which there have been elite shifts, how new governments have related to old elites, and how that has impacted on environmental governance and the management of natural resources. New groups are emerging related to political and economic shifts, and the rise of new cadres of technocrats, while old economic and political elites struggle to remain influential. However, the combination of opposition from old elites, the commitment to social distribution of resource-rents, and the prerogative of state construction has often hampered initiatives to ensure a more sustainable and equitable governance of natural resources. Yet, in other cases constraints related to structural inequalities and entrenched elites have been overcome. Since colonial times the position of the social, political and economic elites in Latin America has been intimately connected to their control over natural resources. Consequently, struggles to protect the environment from over-exploitation and contamination have been related to marginalized groups’ struggles against local, national and transnational elites. The recent rise of progressive, left-leaning governments – often supported by groups struggling for environmental justice – has challenged the established elites and raised expectations about new regimes for natural resource management. Based on case-studies in eight Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, El Salvador and Guatemala), this book investigates the extent to which there have been elite shifts, how new governments have related to old elites, and how that has impacted on environmental governance and the management of natural resources. It examines the rise of new cadres of technocrats and the old economic and political elites’ struggle to remain influential. The book also discusses the challenges faced in trying to overcome structural inequalities to ensure a more sustainable and equitable governance of natural resources. This timely book will be of great interest to researchers and masters students in development studies, environmental management and governance, geography, political science and Latin American area studies. |
Imprint Name: | Routledge |
Publisher Name: | Taylor & Francis Ltd |
Country of Publication: | GB |
Publishing Date: | 2016-08-26 |