FROM CONFLICT TO COOPERATION - INTERNATIONAL POLICIES TO PROTECT THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON

When environmental degradation in a particular country has internation al consequences, a dilemma arises: how to find effective policies whic h address the causes and take domestic sensitivities into account? Thi s article analyzes the Brazilian Amazon, where international concern o ver deforestation led to accusations of hypocrisy, infringement of sov ereignty and impeding development. By cautiously building coalitions a nd by offering favorable conditions, donors contributed to changing co nflict into cooperation. The Pilot Program for the Brazilian rainfores t has not ended all controversies because international influence is l egitimized. The case of the Brazilian Amazon has wider relevance: it s heds light on the limits and possibilities of international environmen tal cooperation, and shows how an international coalition against defo restation emerged. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.