Man-made forest ground fires are a crucial cause of the destruction of Brazilian Amazonian forests. Achieving reliable knowledge of household behavior for fire use and fire prevention is the main objective of this work. Primary data was collected through a household survey in two different sites in the Amazon region: Santarém (PA) and Guarantã do Norte (MT), which were chosen for their strong representativeness of the frontier occupation process and recent dynamics of rural production in the region as well as important specificities in terms of household composition. The model focuses on land-user behavior in order to predict both the incidence of fire and farm-level investment in fire prevention and control. This will be tested in an econometric model based on theoretical framework of household behavior modeling and portfolio management decision. A diagnosis of the level of investment made in rural properties and the history of fire occurrence is made in order to contribute to the debate over the economic and environmental aspects of Amazonian development.
Submetido por Larissa Steiner Chermont em 17-MAR-2004