Rafael D'Almeida Martins

When not every response to climate change is a good one: Identifying principles for sustainable adaptation

Climate adaptation has become a pressing issue. Yet little attention has been paid to the consequences of adaptation policies and practices for sustainability. Recognition that not every adaptation to climate change is a good one has drawn attention to the need for sustainable adaptation strategies and measures that contribute to social justice and environmental integrity. This article presents four normative principles to guide responses to climate change and illustrates the significance of the ‘sustainable adaptation’ concept through case studies from diverse contexts. The principles are: first, recognize the context for vulnerability, including multiple stressors; second, acknowledge that differing values and interests affect adaptation outcomes; third, integrate local knowledge into adaptation responses; and fourth, consider potential feedbacks between local and global processes. We argue that fundamental societal transformations are required in order to achieve sustainable development pathways and avoid adaptation funding going into efforts that exacerbate vulnerability and contribute to rising emissions. Despite numerous challenges involved in achieving such change, we suggest that sustainable adaptation practices have the potential to address some of the shortcomings of conventional social and economic development pathways.

Climate change action at the city level: tales from two megacities in Brazil

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the factors shaping climate policies in two megacities in Brazil – Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro – through a multilevel perspective. The paper seeks to explore how climate change is being framed and how local governments are responding to it in terms of policy strategies.Design/methodology/approach – Through empirical research based on two case studies, the authors discuss the governing of climate change action and analyze the factors that can constrain or undermine these actions based on information collected from reports, institutional web sites and academic and newspaper articles.Findings – The participation in transnational municipal networks has been central for promoting and supporting climate change actions in both cities following the international experience. The organization and implementation of climate change measures rely on a landscape formed by multiple actors often spanning several sectors and levels of governance.Originality/value – Most of...

Oportunidades e barreiras para políticas locais e subnacionais de enfrentamento das mudanças climáticas em áreas urbanas: evidências de diferentes contextos

Cidades e areas urbanas sao vulneraveis aos impactos das mudancas climaticas. Governos locais e subnacionais desempenham um papel importante na implementacao de politicas publicas de enfrentamento dessas mudancas. Referenciado no debate internacional, este artigo investiga os principais fatores que apoiam, limitam e facilitam a implementacao de medidas de mitigacao e adaptacao as mudancas climaticas em areas urbanas. Por meio da analise de 38 estudos de caso de diferentes regioes do mundo, busca-se ir alem da analise de contextos especificos e realidades restritas, capturando o repertorio de estrategias que vem sendo adotado por governos locais e subnacionais de paises desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento. Identificam-se tres grupos de fatores que apoiam e limitam essas acoes: recursos e capacidades; conhecimento e informacao e instituicoes e governanca.

Fair Trade Practices in the Northwest Brazilian Amazon

This paper describes and analyzes the Arte Baniwa project, a sustainable development project based on the production and commercialization of Baniwa indigenous basketwork with the support of the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), a major NGO in Brazil. The project seeks to enhance the value of the Baniwa basket-making tradition, increase production within the limits of the sustainable use of natural resources, generate income for indigenous producers and their political associations, and train indigenous leadership in the skills of business management. The methodology encompasses a literature review on fair trade and builds upon ethnographic and participative research methods. The narrative and analysis of the case study comprise a framework that is two-fold: first, it looks at existing inter-organizational tiers between actors and identifies the presence of two different logics within the project; second, it encompasses the reality of many emerging fair trade initiatives in Brazil which harness market forces to pursue local sustainable development. The paper argues that ISA has acted as a boundary organization by communicating, translating and mediating between traditional (indigenous) knowledge and Western culture. By doing so, it was able to mobilize the projects capacity to promote sustainable development.

Capital social e redes sociais como alternativa para análise de políticas públicas de educação: o caso de Icapuí-CE

This paper aims to analyze the process of implementation and universalization of the elementary education policy in the municipality of Icapui-CE, based on the concepts of social capital and social networks. From these concepts, we studied the actions of the Secretary of Education as a case of successful public policy making through participatory management, democratic and decentralized, heavily based on social relationships between the community and the public who have been benefited by the existence of high levels of civic engagement and strong community ties arising during the process of political emancipation of the municipality. It shows that the socio-historical context and the social networks were sufficient to create and mobilize the social capital existing in the community and thus able to develop actions for social transformation.* Pesquisa realizada pelos autores durante o mês de Janeiro e Fevereiro de 2003 no município de IcapuíCE. A pesquisa foi financiada pelo Centro de Estudos em Administração Pública e Governo da Fundação Getúlio Vargas de São Paulo (CEAPG/FGV-EAESP). Esse artigo amplia reflexões anteriores dos autores apresentadas no I Encontro Nacional de Administração Pública e Governança (EnAPG), da Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (ANPAD), Rio de Janeiro, e no 4th International Meeting of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management, Lisboa.

The research on human dimensions of global environmental change in Latin America

Purpose – Environmental studies have developed slowly within social sciences in Latin America. This paper seeks to assess and systematize the contribution of social sciences in the research on the human dimensions of global environmental change (HDGEC) in the region outlining its state of the art and process of development.Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is the organization of a manual compilation and systematic review of publications on topics related to the HDGEC in order to investigate major research topics covering the period between 2001 and 2008.Findings – Although it is possible to identify an emergent body of the literature and scholarship in the region, the involvement of Latin American social science in the HDGEC research is still timid and tentative and not yet institutionalized. The evidence from this compilation has shown that this literature is fragmented bringing difficulties for the homogenization of criteria for analysis and assessment.Originality/value – The paper is one...

Capital social y redes sociales como alternativas para el análisis de políticas públicas de educación: el caso de Icapuí-CE (CE: CEARÁ - provincia brasileña)

This paper aims to analyze the process of implementation and universalization of the elementary education policy in the municipality of Icapui-CE, based on the concepts of social capital and social networks. From these concepts, we studied the actions of the Secretary of Education as a case of successful public policy making through participatory management, democratic and decentralized, heavily based on social relationships between the community and the public who have been benefited by the existence of high levels of civic engagement and strong community ties arising during the process of political emancipation of the municipality. It shows that the socio-historical context and the social networks were sufficient to create and mobilize the social capital existing in the community and thus able to develop actions for social transformation.* Pesquisa realizada pelos autores durante o mês de Janeiro e Fevereiro de 2003 no município de IcapuíCE. A pesquisa foi financiada pelo Centro de Estudos em Administração Pública e Governo da Fundação Getúlio Vargas de São Paulo (CEAPG/FGV-EAESP). Esse artigo amplia reflexões anteriores dos autores apresentadas no I Encontro Nacional de Administração Pública e Governança (EnAPG), da Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (ANPAD), Rio de Janeiro, e no 4th International Meeting of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management, Lisboa.

Social capital and social networks as alternatives or educational public policy analysis: the Icapuí-CE case

This paper aims to analyze the process of implementation and universalization of the elementary education policy in the municipality of Icapui-CE, based on the concepts of social capital and social networks. From these concepts, we studied the actions of the Secretary of Education as a case of successful public policy making through participatory management, democratic and decentralized, heavily based on social relationships between the community and the public who have been benefited by the existence of high levels of civic engagement and strong community ties arising during the process of political emancipation of the municipality. It shows that the socio-historical context and the social networks were sufficient to create and mobilize the social capital existing in the community and thus able to develop actions for social transformation.* Pesquisa realizada pelos autores durante o mês de Janeiro e Fevereiro de 2003 no município de IcapuíCE. A pesquisa foi financiada pelo Centro de Estudos em Administração Pública e Governo da Fundação Getúlio Vargas de São Paulo (CEAPG/FGV-EAESP). Esse artigo amplia reflexões anteriores dos autores apresentadas no I Encontro Nacional de Administração Pública e Governança (EnAPG), da Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (ANPAD), Rio de Janeiro, e no 4th International Meeting of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management, Lisboa.