Accessibility in the Legal Amazon: Digital Solutions

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative argues that expanding phone and high-speed internet services in the Legal Amazon can reduce regional isolation and boost the economy without the socio-environmental risks associated with traditional logistics infrastructure like roads.

• Information and communication technologies (ICT) provide significant economic benefits in developing regions, including increased productivity for small producers and improved risk management for vulnerable populations. For example, mobile phone use in India's Kerala fisheries sector raised profits by nearly 8% and reduced prices by about 4%, while in Kenya and Rwanda, small-scale farmers saw productivity gains of around 4% through better access to rural extension services.
• Broadband internet expansion in developing countries is linked to higher employment rates and increased business productivity. Data from African countries shows that individuals near areas with better broadband access are 3 to 13 percentage points more likely to be employed, often in high-quality jobs, while evidence from China indicates that faster internet speeds increase exports by improving communication between businesses, consumers, and suppliers.
• The Legal Amazon suffers from significant digital infrastructure gaps compared to the rest of Brazil. Only 25% of rural residents in the Legal Amazon have access to 3G or 4G mobile internet, which is 10 percentage points lower than the national average. Additionally, broadband internet access is 20 percentage points lower in urban areas and 18 percentage points lower in rural areas of the Legal Amazon compared to the rest of the country.
• To boost the economy of the Legal Amazon, the document recommends two primary types of investment: improving the quality of mobile internet in remote, less-populated areas to address antenna shortages, and expanding broadband access in urban areas to reduce service costs.

APA

Araujo, R., Bragança, A., & Assunção, J. (2022). Accessibility in the Legal Amazon: Digital Solutions. Climate Policy Initiative. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/AMZ2030_Digital-Solutions.pdf

Chicago

Araujo, Rafael, Arthur Bragança, and Juliano Assunção. Accessibility in the Legal Amazon: Digital Solutions. Climate Policy Initiative, 2022. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/AMZ2030_Digital-Solutions.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Araujo |first1=Rafael |last2=Bragança |first2=Arthur |last3=Assunção |first3=Juliano |title=Accessibility in the Legal Amazon: Digital Solutions |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=June 2022 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/AMZ2030_Digital-Solutions.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{araujo2022accessibility, author = {Araujo, Rafael and Bragança, Arthur and Assunção, Juliano}, title = {{Accessibility in the Legal Amazon: Digital Solutions}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/AMZ2030_Digital-Solutions.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }