Though still a relatively young field, the study of Latin American environmental history is blossoming, as the contributions to this definitive volume demonstrate. Bringing together thirteen leading experts on the region, A Living Past synthesizes a wide range of scholarship to offer new perspectives on environmental change in Latin America and the Spanish Caribbean since the nineteenth century. Each chapter provides insightful, up-to-date syntheses of current scholarship on critical countries and ecosystems (including Brazil, Mexico, the Caribbean, the tropical Andes, and tropical forests) and such cross-cutting themes as agriculture, conservation, mining, ranching, science, and urbanization. Together, these studies provide valuable historical contexts for making sense of contemporary environmental challenges facing the region.

"The question of how to treat commodity production and how to manage recurrent cycles of booms and busts has always been a challenge for policymakers in commodity-dependent countries, including many in the LAC region. These challenges have led to allegations of a "commodity curse'' that retards development in these countries, but as of yet, there is no consensus as to whether such a curse exists, and if so, how can negative effects be minimized. This book contributes to this debate. Much of the report is focused on an examination of specific channels through which commodity dependence may affect the economic and institutional development of countries. This includes broadly 4 sets of concerns: one set dealing with the direct economic effects of commodity dependence and the implications for long-term growth; one dealing with the interactions between commodity production and the rents it generates on the one hand, and a country's institutions on the other; a third dealing with the macroeconomic challenges of managing the volatility of revenue flows, including the distributional implications at the household level posed by cyclicality of social spending; and a final set associated with potential negative environmental and social impacts. The book finds that some commonly accepted negative effects of dependence on natural resources are largely myths, while some are realities. But all can be managed, and the book draws on the best available information in existing literature as well as original analysis to provide practical advice on how to do so. It also presents descriptive facts and analysis of the impacts in LAC of the recent commodity boom, helping the reader understand the implications for the region's development and policies. It should be of great interest to policy-makers and analysts, as well as laypersons interested in the economics of commodity markets and their role in economic development."

Sovereignty is a significant force regarding the ownership, use, protection and management of natural resources. By placing an emphasis on the complex intertwined relationship between natural resources and diverse claims to resource sovereignty, this book reveals the backstory of contemporary resource contestations in Latin America and their positioning within a more extensive history of extraction in the region. Exploring cases of resource contestation in Bolivia, Colombia and Guatemala, Sovereign Forces highlights the value of these relationships to the practice of environmental governance and peacebuilding in the region.

In the short span of some 50 years, starting with the founding of Santo Domingo at the end of the 15th century, the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors established most of the cities that today are the cornerstone of urban Latin America. The monuments, buildings and plazas that make up this vast heritage continue to define the region's cultural identity and constitute a valuable asset for socioeconomic development. This book explores ways to bring private investors, developers and urban residents into the preservation process, which is beyond the scope of government alone. It describes the different approaches being used to involve these various stakeholders, including successful if not coordinated interventions by public and private interests in Cartagena, Colombia ; operation of a mixed-capital corporation in Quito, Ecuador; and a government-promoted private investment program in Recife, Brazil. The experiences of these three historic Latin American cities provide significant clues about conditions that attract investment, and show why sustained private involvement is the key to furthering heritage preservation in the region. (Adapté du résumé de l'éditeur).

The book, a study of policymaking for conservation in Latin America, employs comparative analysis to explain the policy process in three countries—Argentina, Chile, and Costa Rica. Case studies and examples of important policy decisions made in the three countries are employed to help illuminate variations in the policy process from country to country. The analysis is set against the constant conflict between demands for economic development and conservation. Hopkins has selected important examples of policy problems in the areas of conservation, national parks, and environmental protection in the three countries and set these against the political system in each country for comparison. The cases range from the controversial issue of Lago Chungara in Chile to Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica to the Yacyreta hydroelectric project in Argentina. The study aims at beginning to fill an important gap in the literature on national parks, conservation, and environmental protection in Latin America. As such, the volume will be of interest to students of contemporary Latin America, policymaking, and environmental studies.

Professor Fikret Berkes provides a unique introduction to the social and interdisciplinary dimensions of biodiversity conservation. Examining a range of approaches, new ideas, controversies and debates, he demonstrates that biodiversity loss is not primarily a technical issue, but a social problem that operates in an economic, political and cultural context. Berkes concludes that conservation must be democratized in order to broaden its support base and build more inclusive constituencies for conservation.