Investigating Access to Wildlife and Other Natural Resources in the Urbanizing Amazon

This thesis examined the complex socio-ecological dynamics in the Brazilian Amazon, focusing on the mechanisms that allow Amazonians to access natural resources along the gradient of urbanization. While Amazonian conservation and development policies have traditionally targeted rural areas, there is a growing need to consider the interconnectedness between urban, peri-urban (i.e. the area surrounding the urban center) and rural communities as the region urbanizes. The overall research question that guided this thesis research was "How does urbanization affect access to natural resources and how does access affect natural resource use?". We aimed to address key aspects of these relationships and the implications for sustainable development and conservation efforts.

The first chapter explored the mechanisms by which rural, peri-urban, and urban populations in the Amazon access natural resources, focusing on the varied resources they use as food. Using the Theory of Access' framework and 33 semi-structured interviews with participants selected by snowball sampling in Manaus and Carauari (Amazonas, Brazil), we identified physical, knowledge, structural, social, and rights-based mechanisms as key to understanding resource access. The findings indicate that materiality (i.e. the presence and quality of a given resource), and knowledge were salient for rural and peri-urban people, who live in close proximity to natural resources, to establish access. Technology, such as mobile phones and internet access, further facilitated exchanges across the urbanization gradient. We also found out that the combination of mobility and social relations resulted in greater access to natural resources for those not living in physical proximity to such resources, for those not recognized as legitimate users, or for those that do not know how to extract natural resources. Across the gradient, people made use of social mechanisms and power to reinforce reciprocity among peers and access food. This study contributed to the advancement of the Access Theory by highlighting that people holding power, because of customary, social, institutional, political, and commercial power, accessed or controlled other people's access to natural resources, despite of legal constraints. By extending the notion of access to natural resources as bundles of diverse structural, knowledge, social, power, and rights-based mechanisms, novel policies can be designed to foster sustainable resource use while addressing power disparities for the development of the Brazilian Amazon.

The second chapter examined the prevalence and quantity of wildmeat consumption, barter trade, and monetary trade across rural, peri-urban, and urban areas in the Brazilian Amazon. Through an indirect questioning technique, we surveyed 782 randomly selected households in Manaus and Carauari. We revealed substantial wildlife use throughout the urbanization gradient. In urban households, the rates of wildlife consumption, barter trade, and sale are significant (Manaus: 22%, 17%, 21%; Carauari: 57%, 30%, 7%, respectively), with higher market access in Manaus, the big city. Additionally, we found that wildlife trade occurred in both urban areas assessed, with an estimate of 21% (7-34%: Carauari) and 16% (6-26%: Manaus) of urban households trading wildmeat. Participation of peri-urban households in wildlife trade was high, especially close to Manaus. Results point to a need for inclusive wildlife policies, which regulate subsistence hunting, integrate fish and wildlife management within community-based conservation, implement measures to curtail illegal trade, and promote urban-rural development strategies.

Together, these chapters highlight the importance of a collaborative and inclusive approach to conservation in the Amazon, recognizing the interconnectedness of rural and urban communities. To foster sustainable development, conservation strategies must prioritize equitable access to natural resources and promote the active participation of rural, peri-urban and urban inhabitants in shaping conservation outcomes.