This chapter characterizes and analyzes urban trees in Brazilian Amazonian cities and the relationship with geographic and socioeconomic demographics, considering the links between the triad urbanization, environmental conditions, and economic performance. Furthermore, it proposes actions to address the challenges and promote environmental justice. Despite the critical role of urban green cover for environmental management and urban livelihood, the intra-city deficit of green areas is frequently disregarded in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, leading to a trend of cities within the green forests turning gray. The region’s constant changes away from its green roots are deeply linked with human occupation and urbanization processes, manifested through an urbanization rate of nearly 80%. Inadequate planning and lack of infrastructure results in environmental, social, and spatial inequalities within Brazil and the Amazon Region. Amazonian cities’ urban tree cover and GINI index are considerably lower than national averages, indicating socioeconomic and environmental inequalities. Economic discrepancies are likewise reflected in lower degrees of urban infrastructure and regional GDP. This chapter identifies the cities’ primary revenue sources to help explain the relatively poor financial performance of Amazonian cities and their comparatively lower percentage of urban trees and infrastructure in correlation. In municipal budgetary design, urban infrastructure and green cover are designated non-mandatory expenses and rely on cities’ financial resource surpluses. The lack of investment also contributes for Amazonian cities transforming into vegetation deserts deprived of green spaces. Grayer cities suggest that inequalities reflect adaptation to urbanization and wealth distribution. It seems that urban green areas are not among public management priorities, reducing the provision of vital ecosystem services and weakening the necessary foundations for urban sustainability. Considering the current stage of tropical urbanization and a near scenario of minor to no government intervention, the patterns point to a grayer future for the Amazon and its cities.

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Green Forest, Gray Cities in the Amazon

  • Roberta Mendonça De Carvalho,
  • Claudio Fabian Szlafzstein

摘要

This chapter characterizes and analyzes urban trees in Brazilian Amazonian cities and the relationship with geographic and socioeconomic demographics, considering the links between the triad urbanization, environmental conditions, and economic performance. Furthermore, it proposes actions to address the challenges and promote environmental justice. Despite the critical role of urban green cover for environmental management and urban livelihood, the intra-city deficit of green areas is frequently disregarded in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, leading to a trend of cities within the green forests turning gray. The region’s constant changes away from its green roots are deeply linked with human occupation and urbanization processes, manifested through an urbanization rate of nearly 80%. Inadequate planning and lack of infrastructure results in environmental, social, and spatial inequalities within Brazil and the Amazon Region. Amazonian cities’ urban tree cover and GINI index are considerably lower than national averages, indicating socioeconomic and environmental inequalities. Economic discrepancies are likewise reflected in lower degrees of urban infrastructure and regional GDP. This chapter identifies the cities’ primary revenue sources to help explain the relatively poor financial performance of Amazonian cities and their comparatively lower percentage of urban trees and infrastructure in correlation. In municipal budgetary design, urban infrastructure and green cover are designated non-mandatory expenses and rely on cities’ financial resource surpluses. The lack of investment also contributes for Amazonian cities transforming into vegetation deserts deprived of green spaces. Grayer cities suggest that inequalities reflect adaptation to urbanization and wealth distribution. It seems that urban green areas are not among public management priorities, reducing the provision of vital ecosystem services and weakening the necessary foundations for urban sustainability. Considering the current stage of tropical urbanization and a near scenario of minor to no government intervention, the patterns point to a grayer future for the Amazon and its cities.