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Blame Games in the Amazon: Environmental Crises and the Emergence of a Transparency Regime in Brazil

Author

Listed:
  • Raoni Rajao

    (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais)

  • Yola Georgiadou

    (International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente)

Abstract

Expanding on recent debates in environmental governance and political science, we show that the relationship between environmental transparency and public accountability is far from linear and politically neutral. This is particularly true in moments of environmental crises, when transparency regimes are most likely to emerge as an integral part of the palette of blame-avoidance strategies of accountors in their attempt to disqualify accountees’ perceptions of environmental harm and irreparable loss. Drawing upon the study of blame-avoidance strategies in political science, we discuss the emergence and evolution over time of deforestation monitoring in Brazil, a transparency regime based on GIS and remote sensing led by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research since 1989. We arrive at three conclusions. First, the evolution of transparency regimes is conflictual, culturally embedded, and emergent. Second, the relation between accountors and accountees changes over time as blame-avoidance strategies unfold. Finally, solutions in a blame game may cause a future crisis, as the social context changes and becomes incompatible with the transparency regime of the day. Based on these considerations, we argue for the need to understand the instrumental dimension of transparency regimes alongside their normative and substantive dimensions.

Suggested Citation

  • Raoni Rajao & Yola Georgiadou, 2014. "Blame Games in the Amazon: Environmental Crises and the Emergence of a Transparency Regime in Brazil," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 14(4), pages 97-115, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:glenvp:v:14:y:2014:i:4:p:97-115
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Biermann, Frank & Gupta, Aarti, 2011. "Accountability and legitimacy in earth system governance: A research framework," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 1856-1864, September.
    2. Aarti Gupta, 2010. "Transparency in Global Environmental Governance: A Coming of Age?," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 10(3), pages 1-9, August.
    3. Arthur P. J. Mol, 2010. "The Future of Transparency: Power, Pitfalls and Promises," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 10(3), pages 132-143, August.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mercio Cerbaro & Stephen Morse & Richard Murphy & Jim Lynch & Geoffrey Griffiths, 2020. "Challenges in Using Earth Observation (EO) Data to Support Environmental Management in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Lisa L. Rausch & Holly K. Gibbs, 2016. "Property Arrangements and Soy Governance in the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso: Implications for Deforestation-Free Production," Land, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-16, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    transparency; environmental politics; environmental crisis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics

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