Marcelo Pereira de Souza

Avaliação ambiental estratégica no Brasil: considerações a respeito do papel das agências multilaterais de desenvolvimento

A Avaliacao Ambiental Estrategica (AAE) surge como uma ferramenta que fornece oportunidades para a formulacao de politicas, planos e programas mais sensiveis as questoes ambientais; facilita a integracao e coordenacao entre varios atores institucionais; e aumenta e fortalece a participacao publica. As agencias multilaterais de desenvolvimento, como o Banco Interamericano de Desenvolvimento e o Banco Mundial, vem estimulando a adocao da AAE nos paises em desenvolvimento como recomendacao ou requisito para aprovacao de investimentos e, ainda, por meio de eventos e atividades de capacitacao. O presente trabalho discutiu a situacao atual da AAE no Brasil, e o papel que essas agencias estao desempenhando na sua implementacao, a fim de identificar possiveis melhoras praticas e limitacoes. Defende-se que a pratica da AAE no Brasil seja resultado de um modelo autonomo, baseado nas caracteristicas e demandas internas.

O licenciamento ambiental da mineração no Quadrilátero Ferrífero de Minas Gerais – uma análise da implementação de medidas de controle ambiental formuladas em EIAS/RIMAs.

As one of the public policies instruments used for the previous environmental licensing process of possible impacting enterprises, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has shown some drawbacks. Many researchers mention disparities between the environmental control measures prescribed by the EIA and what was actually implemented in the field. Considering these discrepancies, this work is aimed at evaluating the implementation of the environmental mitigating measures, which were approved by the Minas Gerais State Environmental Agency (FEAM) for the iron mining activities of the Quadrilatero Ferrifero minefield, Brazil. It can be concluded that the environmental control measures have become part of the mining project and design activities. However, as the mining activity is certainly a very dynamic process, many of the prescribed mitigating measures were not implemented in the way they were firstly approved in the Previous License phase, while some other measures, in turn, were simply neglected, standing only as a list of proposals for mitigating environmental impacts.

Using Species Distribution Models to Predict Potential Landscape Restoration Effects on Puma Conservation.

A mosaic of intact native and human-modified vegetation use can provide important habitat for top predators such as the puma (Puma concolor), avoiding negative effects on other species and ecological processes due to cascade trophic interactions. This study investigates the effects of restoration scenarios on the puma’s habitat suitability in the most developed Brazilian region (São Paulo State). Species Distribution Models incorporating restoration scenarios were developed using the species’ occurrence information to (1) map habitat suitability of pumas in São Paulo State, Southeast, Brazil; (2) test the relative contribution of environmental variables ecologically relevant to the species habitat suitability and (3) project the predicted habitat suitability to future native vegetation restoration scenarios. The Maximum Entropy algorithm was used (Test AUC of 0.84 ± 0.0228) based on seven environmental non-correlated variables and non-autocorrelated presence-only records (n = 342). The percentage of native vegetation (positive influence), elevation (positive influence) and density of roads (negative influence) were considered the most important environmental variables to the model. Model projections to restoration scenarios reflected the high positive relationship between pumas and native vegetation. These projections identified new high suitability areas for pumas (probability of presence >0.5) in highly deforested regions. High suitability areas were increased from 5.3% to 8.5% of the total State extension when the landscapes were restored for ≥ the minimum native vegetation cover rule (20%) established by the Brazilian Forest Code in private lands. This study highlights the importance of a landscape planning approach to improve the conservation outlook for pumas and other species, including not only the establishment and management of protected areas, but also the habitat restoration on private lands. Importantly, the results may inform environmental policies and land use planning in São Paulo State, Brazil.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT RESEARCH IN BRAZIL: ACHIEVEMENTS, GAPS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

This paper provides an overview of current IA research in Brazil, considering its extension, lessons learned and the quality of its practice, as well as barriers to research, current gaps and future research endeavours. Despite the big effort devoted to IA research in the country, there is a small number of groups dedicated to the systematic research of IA instruments, its procedures and methods, the assessment of its effectiveness and the evidence to support good practice, the study of the organization of IA systems and their influence on decision-making. In our opinion, the lack of a well structured and distinct field of training and research is one of the major barriers to IA research. Similar to other countries, IA research is not recognised by scientific agencies/committees as a proper field of research, which means the majority of IA research grants is being evaluated/approved by committees with a small or no background in IA. There is, however, a significant contribution to be offered by research to foster IA development in Brazil. Besides the systematic assessment of IA effectiveness and the definition of procedures, methods and approaches to fill the currently well-described gaps, future research efforts should include the study of learning processes through IA practice and their influence in decision-making, the connections between IA and planning, and the benchmarks to environmental governance coming from IA practice.

A viabilidade ambiental no licenciamento de empreendimentos perigosos no Estado de São Paulo

A verificacao da viabilidade ambiental de empreendimentos e atividades previamente a sua implantacao constitui a finalidade do licenciamento ambiental como instrumento de politica e gestao do meio ambiente, o que confere a etapa de licenciamento previo uma posicao de destaque na aplicacao deste instrumento. Tal pressuposto deve ser aplicado a todos os tipos de empreendimentos potencialmente impactantes, notadamente aqueles que oferecem risco a populacao. O presente trabalho apresenta uma discussao dos principais aspectos relacionados a viabilidade ambiental de empreendimentos perigosos frente aos procedimentos de licenciamento adotados no Estado de Sao Paulo. A partir da descricao de dois processos distintos de licenciamento ambiental para sistemas de distribuicao de gas natural, questiona-se a eficacia deste instrumento e da Avaliacao de Risco Ambiental na analise de viabilidade ambiental deste tipo de empreendimento.

Análise da sustentabilidade ambiental do sistema de classificação das águas doces superficiais brasileiras

Brazil is a country with large superficial water reserves and aquatic biodiversity, despite the unequal distribution among hydrographic regions. Brazilian superficial freshwater classification system is guide for the objectives and instruments of environmental and water policies, regulated for another laws, like Resolution CONAMA no 357/05. The present work intends to analyze the existent problems in Brazilian water quality management in relation the environmental sustainability premises and, by means of studying reference countries strategies, to identify new trends. It was evidenced technical, legal, economic, social and institutional impediments, as: lacks of articulation between water and environmental instruments, difficulties in creation Comities and Basin Agencies; incongruence of protective water quality and the existence of permissive water classes; development of qualitative standards that only considers waters physical-chemical an microbiological characteristics, the imbalance of environmental information system, and so on. From this diagnosis, were searched recommendations for the perfectioning of the system.

Análise das contribuições potenciais da Avaliação Ambiental Estratégica ao Plano Energético Brasileiro

Given the potential of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and the strategic importance of the energy sector as an object of study, this article uses literature review of relevant literature to identify the potential contributions of the SEA for the Brazilian Energy Plan. SEA is discussed as an alternative to the inclusion of relevant environmental variable in decision-making inherent in the Plan. The instrument contributes to the establishment of a minimum environmental agenda to be respected, essential to the sustain ability of the planning activities of the Brazilian energy sector. However, to fully achieve its objectives and provide subsidies for environmental sustain ability depends on the fulfillment of certain requirements.

Integração de critérios técnicos, ambientais e sociais em estudos de alternativas locacionais para implantação de aterro sanitário

The National Environment Policy aims to reconcile economic and social development with environmental quality and has several instruments to address environmental issues within the decision making processes. Thus, the discussion about the location of activities is an important step in the evaluation of the environmental acceptability of aparticular activity, even though the systematic procedures do not require neither to the entrepreneur or to the government studies of sitting alternatives. This paper presents the integration of technical, environmental and social criteria in a landfill sitting study, in order to present a systematic integration of environmental factors and applies in a case study in Sao Carlos, Brazil. The results allowed the development of an environmental impact statement more focused on significant impacts and the participation of segments of society at early stages of projects development.

Brazilian Gmo Regulation: Does It Have An Environmental Approach?

Brazil is the second largest producer of genetically modified crops (GM crops) and the National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio) the decision making agency on this matter. The country uses Risk Analysis (RA) and project EIA as tools for biosafety evaluation. This paper aims to review the appropriateness of these tools for evaluating the environmental impacts of GM crops, also considering institutional aspects. An overview of the process of release of GM crops in Brazil along with important operational and institutional aspects is provided. The results indicate that project EIA could be applied to GM crops in specific sites and RA could give support to the evaluation of GM crop itself. Regarding institutional issues, it is concluded that decisions should be made by the environmental bodies, and not by the CTNBio.

Avaliação ambiental estratégica de planosde bacias hidrográficas

A Avaliacao Ambiental Estrategica (AAE) e um instrumento de avaliacao de impactos ambientais de Politicas, Planos e Programas (PPPs). Tendo em vista o planejamento dos recursos hidricos no Brasil, o objetivo deste artigo foi avaliar as contribuicoes da AAE para a elaboracao de Planos de Bacias Hidrograficas no pais, tendo como objeto de estudo a Bacia do Rio Pardo, no estado de Sao Paulo. Para tanto, realizaram-se entrevistas com colaboradores do Comite e acompanhou-se o Grupo de Trabalho do Relatorio de Situacao dos Recursos Hidricos. Verificou-se que a aplicacao da AAE permitiria a incorporacao dos principios de sustentabilidade ambiental no desenvolvimento dos Planos; a integracao com outros PPPs correlatos; o levantamento e avaliacao de impactos de alternativas de desenvolvimento na Bacia e a identificacao de indicadores para o monitoramento do Plano de forma continua