Climate adaptation and policy conflicts in the Brazilian Amazon: Prospects for a Nexus + approach

In a scenario of the apparent adverse effects of climate change, adaptation strategies are needed. The complex cross-sector nature of climate challenges provides a compelling case for a more coherent policy approach. Combinations of policy instruments take different shapes and involve a different set of actors depending on the territory in which they materialise. In this article, the spatial distribution patterns of climate public investments are analysed by mapping the territoriality of policy priorities, functional overlaps and instrument conflicts. It provides an analytical framework named Nexus+, which heuristically defines the scope and interfaces of adaptation strategies. The framework is applied to the case of the northern border of Mato Grosso, located in the south-eastern region of the Brazilian Amazon, where the effects of climate change are expected to impact key economic and social activities