Global Governance in the Brazilian Amazon : Co-Management of Land Resources

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to critically asses the different actors participating in the multilevel management of land resources in the Brazilian Amazon, through the theoretical framework of global governance studies and resource co-management. Four principles of adaptive resource co-management from existing theory were used: co-management as power sharing, comanagement as institution building, co-management as good governance, and co-management as trust building. During the analysis of the empirical material it became apparent that one side of the interaction between different actors in the Brazilian Amazon was not covered in previous literature, and that was the formation of horizontal and/or vertical partnerships between independent entities, or “co-management as network creation”. These partnerships, lasting or not, are established for the achievement of the common aim and lead to gains for all parties involved.