Transportation infrastructure and deforestation in the Amazon

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Araujo, Rafael; Assuncao, Juliano; Braganca, Arthur
• 署名单位: Getulio Vargas Foundation; Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103559
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: deforestation; amazon; transportation; Market access

摘要

We examine the effects of transportation infrastructure on deforestation in the Amazon. We build an interregional trade model in which agricultural commodities can be produced either in cleared lands or in forest lands. The model delivers a closed-form expression connecting deforestation and market access. Using panel data on the evolution of the transportation network and land use we estimate sizable effects of infrastructure on deforestation. Model simulations indicate that ignoring transportation infrastructure's effects beyond the projects surroundings underestimates deforestation impacts by one quarter. We also show how our framework can be used to evaluate the deforestation induced by individual projects, an essential input for public policies.