What is at stake in the Amazon? Environment, security, and society in a contested world

This lecture examines the complex and often overlooked intersection of militarisation, environmental security, and development in the Amazonian region. It addresses the deeply embedded nature of militarisation within development processes in the region, and the persistent empirical blind spot regarding military presence and influence, in a contested interaction with local population. As Brazil assumes a prominent role in global climate diplomacy and environmental governance – underscored by its hosting of COP30 in 2025 in the Amazonian city of Belém – understanding these dynamics becomes increasingly urgent.

Bildnachweis: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amazon_CIAT_%283%29.jpg