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The prospects outlined in climate scenarios produced for Brazil indicate a probable increase in the number of extreme hydrometeorological events in the coming years. Therefore, a study of the health scourges that may intensify due to these events is important. The scope of this article is to estimate the cost represented by the cases of dengue fever attributed to the 2011 disaster in Nova Friburgo (RJ). There were 1,356 suspected cases of dengue fever, 937 of which were confirmed. The total cost of the disease may have been between R$66,000 and R$499,000 taking the minimum salary as a benchmark, with approximately 70% of this amount being among the confirmed cases. The disaster caused extensive changes in the city's environment which, together with the urban sanitation and clearing up process that occurred in the post-event period, led to an increase in the number of potential mosquito breeding sites, facilitating their proliferation and increasing the number of cases of dengue fever. This was a disease that in the decade prior to the disaster recorded few cases of the disease in the municipality. This illustrates the potential of events like the one that occurred in 2011 in Nova Friburgo may have on the increase in the number of cases, and consequently on the cost of the disease.

Bearing in mind the importance of the impacts of the oil industry on human health, this article seeks to present a methodological proposal for analysis of these aspects in environmental impact assessment studies, based on the established legal parameters and a validated matrix for the hydroelectric sector. The lack of health considerations in the environmental impact assessment was detected in most of the 21 oil production enterprises analyzed, that were licensed in the period from January 1, 2004 through October 30, 2009. The health matrix proved to be an appropriate methodological approach to analyze these aspects in the environmental licensing process, guiding decisions and interventions in socio-environmental management.

Discussing the need to implement an environmental management system in civil service entities, this paper offers a brief description of some management practices used by companies in various sectors that are endeavoring to establish the best possible relationships between business activities, environmental issues and human needs, today and in the future. Some economic arguments are presented, including the benefits obtained by private sector companies adopting eco-efficiency criteria that are in themselves sufficient to justify the implementation of an effective environmental management policy in government institutions. The relevance is also stressed of drawing up the Civil Service Environment Agenda (A3P), striving to introduce a new cultural approach that will mobilize civil servants in order to optimize resources, combating waste and encouraging better work environments. For this Agenda to be effective, civil servants and managers must obviously be fully engaged.