UF Center for Latin American Studies
Dr. Walker emphasizes environmental threats posed by infrastructure projects in the Brazilian Amazon
March 17, 2023
Dr. Robert T. Walker has published the article, "The Amazon is not safe under Brazil’s new president – a roads plan could push it past its breaking point" in The Conversation. Read the article here (also available in Portuguese here)
Dr. Walker warns of excessive deforestation pushing the Amazon to its "tipping point," when the sprawling rainforest would suffer enough damage that the entire ecosystem collapses to mere grass and shrubs. Infrastructure projects, climate change, and reduced protects all pose a risk to the Amazon's survival.
In neighboring Ecuador, Dr. Walker is the principal investigator of a near-$1 million National Science Foundation grant to partner with local Indigenous communities to better understand practices of biocultural resilience. You can learn more about this grant at their website here.
