Issa Ibrahim Berchin

Energy production and sustainability: A study of Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant

The increase in energy demand due to economic and population growth necessitates the expansion of the Brazilian energy supply. Hydropower energy, a renewable energy source, arguably clean, presents an energy solution for many countries such as Brazil, with large hydric reservoirs, which help them reduce energy dependence on fossil and imported fuel sources. However, it must be emphasized that without careful planning, the creation of hydropower plants will cause severe social and environmental damage due to the large areas that need to be flooded for the implementation of these plants. The installation of hydropower plants floods vast forest areas, causing loss of biodiversity, displacement of native Brazilian people and riverside populations, and changes to the water acid levels and the natural course of rivers. To mitigate these effects, authorities must first conduct a study on installation possibilities and potential socio‐environmental consequences, to be interpreted and used by the agents involved. Aiming to analyze the social‐environmental impacts of the hydropower plants, this research seeks to investigate the capacity of mitigation of the negative effects of the implementation of the hydropower plants, specifically with regard to the Belo Monte plant, Brazil.

Contributions of Public Policies to Greening Sugarcane Ethanol Production in Brazil

The development of a green economy is key to achieve sustainable development. Investing in greening the energy sector contributes to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while helping to develop a more resilient economy. Public policies have a role in driving the biofuel sector towards a more sustainable path, reducing its environmental footprint and enhancing its economic, environmental and social benefits. The aim of this study is to analyse how public policies can contribute to greening the ethanol sector in Brazil. To accomplish this objective, a review of the economic characteristics of the Brazilian ethanol sector was conducted, based on official documents and reports, policies and on scientific studies. Then, a review of Brazilian public policies was conduced to analyse how public polices influence the sustainable production of the Brazilian ethanol sector. Brazilian bioenergy policies have contributed to establish a green biofuel sector, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing the efficiency in sugarcane production, creating jobs and improving air quality in cities.

Understanding food security and international security links in the context of climate change

Abstract Food production has been changing significantly in recent years as a result of climate change and of growing demand for food. This article aims to understand the link between food security and international security in the context of climate change, applying a systematic and qualitative analysis of the literature using the bibliometric method. This research observes that climate change tends to affect agricultural productivity, exposing societies to risk and the need for migration. However, good governance, together with international cooperation, can reduce the hazards of food insecurity, strengthening ties between countries and stimulating a fairer and more inclusive form of international trade.

Urban Agriculture Practices as Initiatives for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change: Possibilities for Urban Farms in a South American City

Urbanization has become one of the main challenges of modern societies. Therefore, transforming urban areas to sustainable environments is strategic for mitigating and adapting to climate change. Florianopolis—the case of this study—is a South American city that in the next 30 years will double its population, the city already suffers from bad urban management, therefore solutions that combine social, environmental and economic aspects are necessary for achieving sustainable development. The city has begun some programs for urban agriculture and greater efforts are possible. Today, urban agriculture can provide ways of increasing community integration, decreasing greenhouse gases emissions, improving the urban waste management and revitalizing the local economy. This paper highlights urban agriculture practices applied in different cities of the world and how they relate with the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting an exchange of ideas and experiences among researchers, the community and the local government.

The Role of Universities to Promote Sustainable Practices and Climate Change Adaptation: Analysis of the 22 Conferences of the Parties Using Text Mining

Higher education institutions have a critical role in shaping societies by educating future leaders to think critically and solve problems, especially in a changing climate context and with many sustainability challenges. Therefore, these institutions play a key role in educating about climate change and sustainability, how to adapt to it and mitigate its effects, through knowledge creation and dissemination, through research, education and community outreach. The aim of this paper is to analyze through text mining the 22 Conferences of the Parties (COPs)’ documents to understand the role of universities to promote sustainable practices and climate change adaptation. This analysis demonstrates that terms related to the goals of higher education institutions (i.e. education and research, but also outreach) are at the core of the debates at the COPs, from education to innovation, research, learning, capacity building, awareness, knowledge, and so on. Thus, the COPs also call for sustainable development, which would be achieved by engaging civil society, creating and disseminating knowledge, building capacities, developing technologies and transforming them into innovations. This would engage the private sector, raising funds to finance the process, to promote a sustainable and resilient society to climate change, not only in the short term, but also in the long term.

Promotion of Sustainable Development at Universities: The Adoption of Green Campus Strategies at the University of Southern Santa Catarina, Brazil

Universities, as knowledge institutions, play an important and strategic role on maximizing the social and economic benefits of new ideas. This paper aims to analyze the main sustainable practices of a Green Campus and subsequently points out the guidelines to implement a sustainable environmental management in the University of Southern Santa Catarina, Brazil, involving academic activities and the Campus infrastructure. The University of Southern Santa Catarina has been developing global partnerships encouraging the scientific production and sustainability practices to make it an example of Green Campus in South America.

Environmental Education in Higher Education Institutions: An Analysis of the Strategies of the University of Southern Santa Catarina to Promote Environmental Education

Environmental education becomes a fundamental key for the construction of a sustainable development, based on conscious consumption and adoption of sustainable actions. This research aims to understand the importance of environmental education policies in Higher Education Institutions. Starting from the guiding principles of the Tbilisi Declaration, a literature review was conducted in order to verify whether the assumptions of the Declaration are corroborated by other authors. This research also presents a case study about the Environmental Education Policies of the University of Southern Santa Catarina. The practices implemented by the University of Southern Santa Catarina and the international literature are compared, ascertaining the importance of implementing strategies for environmental education, as a way to reach the guiding principles of the Tbilisi Declaration and contribute for the formation of more conscious and responsible citizens.

Strategies to promote sustainability in higher education institutions

Purpose This paper aims to analyze strategies that promote sustainability in higher education institutions (HEIs), focusing on the case study of a federal institute of higher education in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach The research was based on a scientific literature review on sustainability in HEIs, to identify the recurrent actions for sustainability in these institutions; and a case study of a federal institute of higher education in Brazil, to illustrate how these actions are being implemented by HEIs. Findings Concerns about sustainability, prompted by the Brazilian federal legislature, led federal HEI to change its internal processes, infrastructure and organizational culture toward sustainability. Practical implications The findings presented in this study, more specifically the sustainability plan of the Federal Institute for Education, Science and Technology of Santa Catarina, aligned with the recommendations proposed, can be used and replicated in other HEIs. Originality/value Scientific literature about organizational changes led by sustainability concerns, in HEIs specifically, still needs more attention in the academia. By addressing the case of a Brazilian public institution of higher education, this paper contributes to the literature on sustainability in higher education by reporting the process of implementation of a sustainability plan.

PRODUÇÃO CIENTÍFICA INTERNACIONAL EM PLANEJAMENTO ESTRATÉGICO NO PERÍODO DE 2004 A 2014

This research aims to analyze the “state-of-art” of the international scientific literature on strategic planning, from 2004 to 2014. In order to accomplish this goal, a bibliometric analysis was conducted based on international scientific journals in the following databases: Science Direct, Scopus and EBSCO. As a result, 31 articles were selected as the most relevant for the literature in strategic planning and the most cited keywords among them were: strategic planning, performance and organization.

University, Environmental Education and Community Engagement for Sustainable Development: A Study of the Horta Escolar Project, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Brazil

The promotion of sustainable development and ecological preservation is directly related to environmental education. Universities can provide mechanisms for devising and implementing various sustainability standards in their surrounding communities. This article presents the Horta Escolar Project, developed by the University of Southern Santa Catarina, Brazil, which aims to promote awareness of environmental conservation through sustainable practices in food production. This project resulted from a case study involving both primary school students and university outreach students, aiming to improve knowledge about sustainability and nutrition through the creation of a school garden allowing students to cultivate their own food. This process demonstrated that experiences of this type can effectively contribute to healthy eating and stimulating a culture of environmental preservation.