Abigail Floyd

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Alcock, Frank

Area of Concentration

Environmental Studies and Political Science

Abstract

This thesis is a portfolio of works exploring the interplay between international relations, Indigenous rights, and land degradation. The first paper provides an overview of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Working at the international level, the regime acknowledged the need for collective action and resource sharing to protect the land we inhabit. The UNCCD was an instance of developed countries coming together to advocate for themselves in a period of intense international interest in environmental protection. The second paper of this portfolio examines the relationship between democracy and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The Brazilian Amazon is often referenced in environmental politics to demonstrate the benefits of strong regulations for curbing land degradation. I use an ordinary least squares regression analysis to determine if changes in the level of democracy are related to forest cover from 1985 to 2019. Then I look at qualitative reasons for the relationship I find. The final paper examines why Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States did not decide to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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