Energy development reveals blind spots for ecosystem conservation in the Amazon Basin

Energy development – as manifested by the proliferation of hydroelectric dams and increased oil and gas exploration – is a driver of change in Amazonian ecosystems. However, prevailing approaches to Amazonian ecosystem conservation that focus on terrestrial protected areas and Indigenous territories do not offer sufficient insurance against the risks associated with energy development. Here, we explore three related areas of concern: the exclusion of subsurface rights on Indigenous lands; the absence of frameworks for freshwater ecosystem conservation; and downgrading, downsizing, degazettement (loss of protection), and reclassification of protected areas. We consider these issues from the perspectives of multiple countries across the Amazon Basin, and link them directly to energy development. Finally, we offer suggestions for addressing the challenges of energy development for Amazon ecosystem conservation through existing policies, new approaches, and international collaboration. For much of the latter half of the 20th century, new road systems, large‐scale mining, and agricultural expansion were major drivers of deforestation and ecosystem degradation throughout the Amazon Basin. Designation of federal and state protected areas has long been the principal conservation response to these drivers, with 1.7 million km2 (roughly 22% of the Amazon Basin) now under some form of protected area status (RAISG 2016). In addition, a vast network of at least 2344 Indigenous territories are legally recognized within the Amazon and are known to benefit ecosystem conservation and carbon storage (Walker et al. 2014). While approximately 27% of national protected areas intersect to some extent with Indigenous lands in South America, the designation of Indigenous territories represents the culmination of decades of struggle for the formal recognition of the customary land rights of Indigenous peoples (Cisneros and McBreen 2010). Cumulatively, Indigenous territories comprise >2.2 million km2, about 30% of the Amazon Basin (Gullison and Hardner 2018). However, recent trends in energy development have created unanticipated areas of concern – or “blind spots” – for Amazon ecosystem conservation. Beyond roads and agriculture, an additional driver of change is expanding energy development: specifically, the proliferation of new hydropower dams and increased oil and gas exploration, which has already transformed many areas of the Amazon. These new energy development projects are motivated by several factors. Many large infrastructure projects are part of the Initiative