Sônia Regina da Cal Seixas

Tourism and Transgression: Resort Development, Crime and the Drug Economy

This article aspires to open a new line of conceptual analysis in the tourism development literature by exploring the relationships between resort development, violent crime and the drug economy. At the centre of our critical realist analysis is the relationship between tourism and transgression, a relationship that we argue deserves a more central place in researching tourism development. A case study of the north coast of Sao Paulo state is reported. Primary data from field observations and interviews are combined with the analysis of published data on crime and violence in the city and media reports of violence. We synthesise a range of academic literatures, published in both English and Portuguese, in the fields of criminology, real estate management, demography, health and tourism studies in order to make our arguments. Utilising retroduction, the mechanism “immunisation” is proposed as having explanatory power in understanding the relationship between tourism resort development, violent crime and the drug economy.

Chapter 12 Global Environmental Changes and Impacts on Fishing Activities in the Northern Coast of São Paulo, Brazil

Purpose – Scientific studies have shown that the coastal zone is one of the regions showing great vulnerability to the impacts of global environmental change. For the region, impacts that may directly affect the economy and daily life of the communities of coastal municipalities were predicted. It occurs from phenomena, e.g. temperature rise, sea level rise, salinity, acidification of the seas and extreme events. Methodology/approach – The mariculture labourers and artisan fishers from the Cocanha beach (Caraguatatuba city, north coast of the state of Sao Paulo), a lookout group, are the first persons to perceive the environmental change impacts in their daily contact with natural resources. Thus, the aim herein was to (a) verify their perception on the amount and quality of mussels and fish catch and (b) if such changes could be related to global environmental changes. In order to do so, semi-structured interviews with this social group were conducted in November 2009–February 2011 and codified by using the NVIVO8 software. Findings – The results indicated a decrease in fish stocks and, according to interviewees, such decrease was tied in with changes in fishing, in climate, and in beach landscape. Moreover, the category related to increased water temperature was highly significant, since the fishing and mariculture activities are directly influenced by this factor. Research limitations – The perception evaluation through interviews with artisanal fishermen and shellfishermen implies that many subjective aspects are present, as well as the role of the media that has published significant information on climate change in the contemporary world. Originality/value of paper – There are few studies that present these perspectives; however, the authors believe that it is possible, while recognising the possible limitations of the method, to recognise something that is already perceived by the community and may help to evaluate the reality they face and to contribute actually to the construction of future public policies.

Quality of Life and Socioenvironmental Degradation in the Cantareira System Environmental Protected Area, SP, Brazil

Studies on quality of life can contribute to a better understanding of situations where socioenvironmental transformations are evident, from environmental, social, cultural, and political perspectives. This paper analyzes the quality of life of the inhabitants of the Moinho rural settlement in the context of the surrounding conditions of environmental degradation. Moinho is located in Nazare Paulista municipality, which belongs to the Cantareira System Environmental Protected Area (Cantareira EPA), state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The methodology used was based on secondary data collection and interviews with local residents. The results explore the interface between the transformation of land use and the growing change of rural life that are greatly influenced by expanding urban sprawl in the region. Over recent decades, changes in the production systems, substitution of agriculture crops, and the impacts of these variables on environmental health and water availability, as well as damage to the Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M) of its municipalities, are indicators of the region’s present social complexity. This study shows that an improvement in the quality of life has an intimate relationship with the creation of sustainable economic activities and the real participation of the local population in decision making processes.

Intelectuais e cientistas na América Latina: A importância dos temas Subjetividade, Qualidade de vida e Risco

The article offers two contributions to the interesting debate about the quality of life, subjectivity and risk, in the area of Environment and Society. On the one hand it allows as to widden the knowledge of the importance of the subjects. And on the other it contributes to a systematic way of working with Latin American data.

Water Resources in the Context of Global Environmental Change: Some Perspectives for Sustainability

Conservation and management of water resources quality and quantity in a particular region are one of the great challenges to sustainability. Therefore, it is a very important element in the recognition of urban expansion processes and anthropic pressure on ecosystems associated with regional sustainable environmental planning. In the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, an intense process of industrialisation and urbanisation followed the recent expansion of its main east road system, which is located near headwaters and ecosystems of important rivers. In recent years, this area was also faced with an intense shortage of water resources due to a severe drought that the southeast area of Brazil faced, along with the lack of effective water resource management and the definition of economic development projects that take into account environmental preservation and regional sustainability. The main objectives of this study involve the recognition and study of such problems, the involvement of surrounding communities in collective actions that aim to recognize the regional socio-environmental history and to stimulate an awareness of the importance of regional rivers and their conservation and maintenance, aiming to secure for present and future generations the quality of water resources as a priority for the region’s sustainability.

Corporate Sustainable Strategies in Dom Pedro I Industrial Road Axis, São Paulo, Brazil

Among the challenges to sustainability, urban sprawl and an increasing demand for resources and energy can be mentioned. In the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, an intense process of industrialization and urbanization has accompanied the recent expansion of major highways. The study of these impacts is important from a sustainable perspective, as is analysis on how they may indicate socioenvironmental public policies and corporate actions. This study seeks to analyze sustainable corporate strategies to address environmental issues and managerial perceptions in industries located along the road axis Dom Pedro I (SP 65), in the Bragantina Region, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Methodological strategies involve analyses of industries’ data and interviews with personnel responsible for environmental departments. Data collected indicate a diversity of environmental management actions already adopted by many organizations and it became apparent that the main stimuli for their implementation are the necessity to reduce operational costs, consolidation of an environmentally responsible image and adequacy to the environmental legislation. Nevertheless, they still need to invest more substantially to implement modern sustainable strategies and updated socioenvironmental corporate policies for preservation of natural resources.

Floods and socioenvironmental vulnerability in the municipality of Atibaia, SP – Brazil

RESUMO A ocorrencia de enchentes e inundacoes e cada vez mais frequente, sobretudo em areas urbanizadas, criando uma infinidade de perigos e vulnerabilidades socioambientais. Algumas dessas vulnerabilidades foram examinadas com o exemplo de Atibaia, municipio do estado de Sao Paulo (Brasil), que foi submetido a inundacoes repetidas entre 2002, 2009, 2010 e 2011. Desta forma, o objetivo deste artigo e analisar a ocorrencia de enchentes e inundacoes em Atibaia, no periodo de 2000 a 2012. A metodologia envolveu revisao da literatura cientifica, bem como a coleta de dados secundarios de varias organizacoes governamentais e nao-governamentais atuantes na regiao. Palavras-chave: Inundacoes. Vulnerabilidade. Areas urbanas. Atibaia ABSTRACT The occurrence of floods is increasingly common in urbanized areas and creates a multitude of hazards and socioenvironmental vulnerabilities. The municipality of Atibaia in the state of Sao Paulo (Brazil), which was flooded in the years of 2002, 2009, 02010, and 2011, had some of its socioenvironmental vulnerabilities analyzed. Thus, this paper aims to analyze the occurrence of floods in Atibaia from 2000 to 2012. The methodological approach involved a review of the scientific literature, as well as the collection of secondary data from various governmental and non-governmental organizations working in this region. Key-Words: Floods. Vulnerability. Urban Areas. Atibaia. RESUMO A ocorrencia de enchentes e inundacoes e cada vez mais frequente, sobretudo em areas urbanizadas, criando uma infinidade de perigos e vulnerabilidades socioambientais. Algumas dessas vulnerabilidades foram examinadas com o exemplo de Atibaia, municipio do estado de Sao Paulo (Brasil), que foi submetido a inundacoes repetidas entre 2002, 2009, 2010 e 2011. Desta forma, o objetivo deste artigo e analisar a ocorrencia de enchentes em Atibaia, no periodo de 2000 a 2012. A metodologia envolveu revisao da literatura cientifica, bem como a coleta de dados secundarios de varias organizacoes governamentais e nao-governamentais atuantes na regiao. Palavras-chave: Inundacoes. Vulnerabilidade. Areas urbanas. Atibaia. http://dx.doi.org/10.22292/mas.v9i4.390

Intelectuales y científicos en América Latina: A importancia de los temas Subjetividad, Calidad de Vida y Riesgo

The article offers two contributions to the interesting debate about the quality of life, subjectivity and risk, in the area of Environment and Society. On the one hand it allows as to widden the knowledge of the importance of the subjects. And on the other it contributes to a systematic way of working with Latin American data.