Search

The Ecological Economic Zoning (EEZ) is an environmental management tool established in the National Environmental Policy (PNMA) and present in all states of Brazil. Since the 1990s, it has been implemented in Brazil; however, the attempts at implementation and the results obtained so far do not provide evidence of its effectiveness. Thus, this article seeks to understand the implementation of EEZ in Tocantins by analyzing the perceptions of local actors through the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) method. The conclusion is that EEZ in Tocantins has not been implemented. Among the identified causes, institutional factors such as low administrative capacity, governance, and "political will" associated with the disconfiguration of its normative character prevail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, as the instrument of the National Environmental Policy is an essential tool for the environmental license, Law 6938/81, in its article 2, item III, instituted the evaluation of environmental impacts. With the development of the license studies, it was found that the environmental agencies, no matter how better equipped they were, would not have the conditions to proceed with the environmental impact assessment studies of certain activities and large-scale projects. Thus arose the need for these studies to be synthesized in a special document. The synthesis document was called, in the licensing system for polluting activities of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Deliberation CECA 3, of 12/28/1977), the "Environmental Influence Report" (RIMA), currently called "Environmental Impact Report". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil is experiencing a severe environmental crisis, which culminates with the dismantling of the National Environmental Policy. The recent changes carried out since 2019 by the Brazilian government have been widely reflected negatively in the national and international scientific communities, bringing to light the importance of Brazilian biomes for the sustainable development. This article aimed to investigate and reflect on the encounters and disagreements of Law no. 6,938, of August 31, 1981, discussing the current National Environmental Policy. For this, exploratory research with a qualitative approach was carried out, based on a literature review. Data analysis was performed using the complex-systemic approach method. The results indicate that there was a denaturation of the National Environmental Policy, thus making the law ineffective for the preservation of Brazil's environmental heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally accepted in public policy debate that expert knowledge tends to contribute to more effective formulation and implementation of policy. Most of the literature, however, has tended to be exclusively focused on the science–policy interface, ignoring the necessary pre-conditions of the broader national and institutional context for the effective use of scientific evidence. This shortcoming becomes particularly pronounced in analysis of developing in less pluralist countries. This article analyses two cases of Brazilian environmental policy-making and discusses the institutional pre-conditions for learning from science. By textually coding instances of direct and indirect participation of scientists in congressional debates and assessing the extent of their influence in final decisions, this article shows that despite being largely consensual to the scientific community, clearly communicated, and relevant, scientific information had no influence on the policy-decisions taken in two highly-technical areas of environmental policy in Brazil: forestry and pesticides. This article engages with the literature on the necessary institutional structures for learning from science and provides support for the hypothesis that countries with lower levels of political openness, and medium-to-low consensus requirements for decision-making, will tend to have considerable barriers to effectively producing evidence-based policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, quilombola communities have occupied a place of subordination in the official history, motivated by the enslavement process of African people. These communities have created and continually recreate their spaces and movements of resistance to the various forms of oppression experienced. The organization for the assurance of rights has been necessary since the first steps into Brazil, extending to the current days. In the past there were escapes and rebellions, today the fight is against the obstacles of territorial demarcation, absence of public policies and environmental racism practiced by the State or private agents. Thus, the quilombola movement remains fundamental for the defense of life and the collective territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, the Brazilian authorities approved the National Policy on Solid Waste (NPSW) with the aim of promoting the recycling and reuse of solid waste. However, assessing the distribution and progress of recyclable material recovery following the implementation of this key government policy remains a challenging task. Therefore, this study employs a spatial-temporal analysis to investigate the impact of the NPSW on the recovery of recyclable waste in Brazil. We employed spatial statistical techniques such as Getis-Ord Gi* and Global Moran's I. The results revealed significant and heterogeneous clustering of recycled materials among municipalities, both before and after the implementation of the NPSW. The analysis demonstrated that recycled waste tended to cluster in more developed and urbanized areas, while a considerable number of cold spots were observed in less developed regions or densely populated areas, indicating low recycling rates. These findings raise environmental concerns for policymakers and emphasize the need for interventions to enhance recycling efforts. The study highlights the urgency of improving municipal solid waste management and raising awareness among local communities about the economic and environmental benefits of recycling, particularly in areas characterized by unsanitary living conditions, poverty, and low-income disparities. Therefore, it is recommended to tailor the legal framework to local realities, considering the vast and socioeconomically diverse landscape of Brazil. [Display omitted] • This study examined the spatial-temporal trends in the recovery of recyclable waste. • The recovery of recycled waste exhibits significant heterogeneity in Brazil. • Increasing recycling rates poses a challenge and raises concerns for the environment. • It is crucial to adapt laws in local contexts in order to enhance recovery rates. • Governments and stakeholders should explore the potential of recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using policy cycle model as a heuristic, this article studies Indian, Brazilian, and South African engagement with Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) by (a) comparing NAMA policy process and (b) identifying factors driving or limiting the framework’s domestic application. India largely remained uninterested in NAMAs, Brazil aligned its domestic climate policy and NAMAs, while South Africa had a more nuanced engagement when formulating NAMAs. Four factors influenced these countries’ NAMA engagements: the level and necessity of international support, the availability of domestic policy provisions to tackle climate change, the domestic institutional capacity to coordinate interministerial functioning, and the role of individuals in the institutional apparatus. As an international climate policy framework, studying NAMA engagement provides learnings for nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement for designing the instrument, ensuring clarity on support provisions for ratcheting up ambitions, and enhancing institutional capacity, to expedite transition from policy formulation to implementation and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two main drivers shape the global governance of climate change: "climate power" and climate commitment. Climate power refers to the level of influence of certain agents over the climate social outcome at the systemic level. Climate commitment recalls the fact that the logic of global climate governance is also defined by the interaction of reformist and conservative forces, with the former willing to take post-sovereigntist measures to tackle the crisis, and the latter resisting any major changes in the way business is conducted. This article analyses the role of Brazil in global climate governance, considering both climate power and climate commitment. It argues that the country transitioned from a conservative great climate power to a moderate conservative position over the last decade, based on three pillars: reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the adoption of domestic climate policies, and a shift in its international standing on the issue. However, since 2011 the process has stalled and partially reversed. The aim of this article is to address that transformation and explore its perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation of policies for managing the water resources, such as charging policies for the use of the water, has been influenced by different perspectives that not only affect the views that people have of the world, but also their actions. This paper discusses the different perspectives that influence the process of creation and implementation of these policies, seeking to evaluate their consequences on the system of charging for the use of water resources in Brazil. It was observed that although the Brazilian legislation on water resources has been created in a context of discourses of sustainable development, the focus of its implementation is, basically, the technical-driven perspective, with an anthropocentric and utilitarian view, relegating social and ecological sustainability to second place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil's influence is rising quickly in international affairs. Unlike those of China and India, its foreign policy relies heavily on non-military power—a characteristic of Brazil since at least the early 20th century. A mainstay of this policy has been the pursuit of ‘development’ for Brazil and the global South, with domestic discourse on the need to ‘develop’ buttressing this approach. Foreign policy under President Lula (2003–10) did this explicitly; President Rousseff (2011–) shows no signs of changing course. This article analyses three foreign policy issues—South–South cooperation, health, and environment—to demonstrate the use and assess the value of this strategy. Not only is the strategy serving Brazil's national interests well, the analysis reveals, but it is also benefitting other developing countries (albeit asymmetrically), reinforcing Brazil's capacity to influence international affairs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present article aims to understand and analyze social policies concerning the environment, specifically on the management of solid waste in the Distrito Federal. At first we introduce the concept of public policy, its evolution, its actors and stages of formulation. The second topic provides the definition and classification of solid waste. In the third topic, shows the evolution of public environment policies in the world. Then, the evolution of public environmental policy at national level. Later, as it develops the issue of solid waste management in the Distrito Federal. Finally, there will be an evaluation of the suggested public policy for the management of solid waste in the Distrito Federal. At the conclusion, in addition to general observations about the various aspects covered in this paper, it is verified that there is little being made by the public policies developed on this theme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological modernisation is a normative theory that explains why society's institutions and practices change in response to environmental consequences of industrial economies. It is also a term used to describe broader processes of change in environmental governance. In this paper, we use the second concept to explore the development of Brazil's governance of genetically modified (GM) or transgenic crops. We discuss three major shifts in GM-crop governance and regulatory institutions during the past decade. We focus on how nongovernmental organisations, local governments, and farmers challenged the federal government's biotechnology regulatory institution. The analysis of Brazil's GM debate offers important insights into the process of ecological modernisation in the global South. The case represents a key example of how ecological modernisation may proceed in countries facing neoliberalism and export-oriented economic policies paralleled by increasing democratisation. In Brazil, these seemingly contradictory forces have led to innovative, market-based paths of institutional change in environmental governance. Our study also offers an instructive example of how ecological modernisation processes in the global South intersect with broader dynamics of globalisation to shape potentially diverse environmental policy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism development and environmental protection are intertwined processes. Protected areas have been established to both promote nature-based tourism as well as control the environmental impacts of tourism development. Therefore, tourism has been a force to motivate the creation of protected areas in several developing countries. This article examines the roles of governments, and local and external actors in the policymaking process of establishing protected areas, using as a case study the establishment of environmentally protected areas in the state of Bahia, Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This article reviews changes in the social contexts of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from the 1970s to the 1990s, moving from the household to the global level. Methods. I draw on satellite imagery, state publications, farm surveys, ethnographic field work, and policy analyses for a comparative analysis that shows how land cover, agriculture, demographics, politics, and markets have changed over time. Results. Alterations in the social contexts of deforestation appear on all levels considered, from household demographic evolution and new land use strategies to a regional demographic transition and the emergence of cattle and timber economies, to a “greening” of Brazilian development policy and changes in national land markets, to multilateral bank loans for new infrastructure and local-international alliances between grassroots and environmental organizations. Conclusions. The social contexts of deforestation are very complex and changing and call for greater attention by social scientists to land cover and land use change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an update on environmental management in Latin America as of September 2001. Budget allocated by the United States government on its Everglades restoration project; Rise in imported hazardous waste into Canada between 1998 and 1999; Worth of Brazil's natural resources.

The article focuses on the environmental efforts in Brazil. Carlos Nobre, climate scientist at the National Institute for Space Research, says that Brazil could cut its emissions nearly equal to 1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Senator Marina Silva has spoken in Washington D.C, saying that wealthy nations must take the lead for environmental actions. Moreover, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has appointed a task force to investigate the consideration of carbon markets.