Published 2 months ago – Updated: September, 12, 2023 || Text: Erika Yamamoto Art: Joyce Tenório

A survey conducted by Elsevier, a publisher specialized in scientific article publication and information analysis, reveals that Brazil is the country with the highest number of researches on the biome.

Parrot photographed in one of the forest reserves of Manaus – Photo: Chris Parker/Flickr

A recent study conducted by the Senior Vice President of Research Networks at Elsevier, Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, reveals that Brazil is the country conducting the most research on the world’s largest tropical forest, the Amazon.

The survey analyzed a database with millions of scientific articles published worldwide about the biome since 1975. Brazil has the highest number of publications, serving as the primary reference for Amazonian scientific research. In 2022, for instance, Brazilian researchers published 2,617 articles, more than double the number of articles produced by the United States, the second-ranked country, which published 1,231.

However, this hasn’t always been the case. Until 2005, the United States was responsible for the majority of publications, with Brazil only taking the lead from 2006 onwards. According to Brito Cruz, several factors may have contributed to the acceleration of Brazilian research in the Amazon, such as the country’s democratization and the promulgation of the Federal Constitution of 1988, which brought environmental issues to the forefront and into the political debate.

Another significant event was the 1992 Earth Summit, the first United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro. This summit emphasized the responsibility of nations in environmental conservation. On the international stage, the importance of the “climate change” issue grew with the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988.

The Real Plan, which established a stable currency in Brazil, allowed research funding institutions and higher education institutions to operate in a more planned and stable manner. Moreover, it led to the development of a pool of capable and dedicated researchers in Brazil. For instance, as early as 1990, Professor Carlos Nobre, along with colleagues, published research on climate models analyzing deforestation in the Amazon,” explains Brito Cruz.

After Brazil and the United States, the countries conducting the most research on the Amazon are the United Kingdom, China, and Germany, with the Asian country showing increasing production and potentially surpassing the United Kingdom in the coming years.

Among South American nations, Peru and Colombia rank among the top ten countries with the most publications.

Countries that Publish the Most Studies on the Amazon

1st – Brazil

2nd – United States

3rd – United Kingdom

4th – China

5th – Germany

6th – France

7th – Peru

8th – Australia

9th – Colombia

10th – Canada