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Summary Capacity development is a development approach and a methodology with origins in colonization that has yet to be decolonized. The underlying assumption for the most part is that there are deficiencies in the abilities of the group in question, and does not question the possibility that the system or structure may be dysfunctional. The ongoing design and implementation of international protected area management systems in general, and the one described in this paper, continue to be based on a foundational assumption of a lack of community capacity for governance of the resources on which they depend, the “deficit” model. Emerging from the context of a community in Trindade, Brazil, the goal of the present project was to support members of a community-based organization in capacity development endeavors for needs they identified. Although the implementation of a series of courses is not a novel approach to capacity development, the commitment to critical pedagogy, the clarity of capacity development of what and for whom that was based on an assumption of capacity, defining the capacities needed and the purpose, and being guided by theory, were perhaps the more novel approaches used in this action research project. The goal of capacity development as attempted in the present research project was not to develop skills so that people may fit into an unjust structure or for ease of social control, but to support the enhancement of skills and knowledge to challenge the existing state of affairs. Instead of the insistence on Indigenous Peoples becoming willing partners in flawed governance systems, much work is needed to continue to address these significant flaws and failings, and to critically challenge the status quo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between human welfare and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazonia has traditionally been thought to follow a boom-and-bust pattern. According to this pattern, forest clearing triggers rapid increases in human welfare levels (“the boom”) due to short-term economic gains; these levels then drop to below national or regional averages (“the bust”) after the forest stocks have declined, thus causing the local populations to become deprived of ecosystem services. However, recent studies have questioned the validity of this boom-and-bust pattern. In this paper, we use panel data and simultaneous autoregressive models to evaluate the effects of deforestation, urbanization, public investments, agriculture, and state policies on temporal changes in human welfare that occurred across multiple municipalities in the Brazilian Amazonia from 2005 to 2012, a period during which governments implemented a set of strategies aimed at controlling deforestation across the region. We found that: (a) signals of a boom-and-bust pattern are weak at the regional level, and therefore this pattern cannot be generalized across the entire region; (b) human welfare is increasing more rapidly in low-development municipalities than in high-development cities, and all municipalities are converging on at least one regional average rather than on a national average; (c) urbanization does not lead to positive changes in human welfare, which indicates that the infrastructure available in regional urban centers is limited; (d) public investments are negatively associated with human welfare growth, thus signifying that if public investments are not used to leverage the potential of other sectors of the local economy, human welfare will not improve; (e) agriculture is negatively associated with positive changes in human welfare at the local level, possibly due to the dominance of cattle-ranching as the predominant economic activity of this sector; and (f) state-level policies matter, and future analyses of regional trends in the realm of development and conservation across this region should take such policies into account. Finally, we suggest that although human welfare and deforestation retain a weak statistical relationship, we cannot contend that they have been fully decoupled. Forest loss across the region is still pervasive, and institutions are too weak to sustain the transition from a frontier development model to a conservation-centered model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofuel production stands out on an international level because of its environmentally sustainable characteristics and the potential to promote rural development in developing countries. Introducing waste cooking oil (WCO) into the biodiesel chain holds the potential to promote social inclusion in urban areas in developing countries as well. In this sense, this paper examines the opportunity for biodiesel production from WCO as a potential source for future energy supply, particularly for biodiesel, and in this case, we will analyze the Brazilian scene. Several related aspects are covered, such as the physical and chemical properties of the WCO and the biodiesel made from it. The process of production is also presented. Lastly, the potential of the supply for this chain and the potential of social inclusion in developing countries, especially in Brazil, are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, companies have shown growing concerns in relation to the environmental impact of their manufacturing activities. Green supply chain management (GSCM) has been considered by the manufacturers as a feasible option to reduce the environmental impact of operations while simultaneously improving their operational performance. The literature suggests that further research on institutional pressures, performance, and environmental practices are needed, especially in the case of developing countries. The present paper explores the GSCM pressures, practices, and performance observed in suppliers of a Brazilian automotive supply chain. The data were treated using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) provided by SmartPLS software. The results show that the economic and environmental performance of the studied supply chain is positively related to the adoption of GSCM practices. In addition, the present research also identified the institutional pressures that influence this supply chain to pursue green supply chain management practices. The results of this study provide managerial and theoretical approaches for different industries in Brazil to focus on environmental awareness by adopting GSCM practices. In addition, this study helps increase confidence among managers and policy makers of Brazilian companies in the adoption of GSCM practices to improve firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Maricá “restinga”, located on the eastern part of Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil), corresponds to one of the few remaining preserved areas of the state's coastal plain. This coastline presents two sand barriers separated by a depression where there is a freshwater swamp and different plant communities distributed in areas of high ecological diversity accompanying the local topography and the range of marine spray. This paper is a study of the soil phytolith assemblages in the Maricá restinga , with the intent of establishing reference collections for paleoenvironmental studies of this coastal area during the Quaternary. Phytoliths were chosen as proxies, but their use for reconstruction of this type of vegetation is pioneer research, so it was essential to characterize the phytolith assemblages for each plant community through the identification of the main morphotypes and whether or not they are preserved in coastal depositional environments under the effect of geomorphology and salinity. Eight plant communities, distributed almost parallel to the coastline over sandy barriers, lagoonal plain, lagoon margin and weathered basement were identified: Halophile-psamophile, near the beach; two Scrub communities, one over the Holocene barrier and the other over the Pleistocene barrier; two Herbaceous swamps, one between the two sand barriers, the other behind the Pleistocene barrier; Slack, in front of the Pleistocene barrier; Shrubby vegetation on the shore of Maricá lagoon and Dry forest, over the weathered Pre-Cambrian basement. In general, it was found that this type of environment is not very favorable for the formation and accumulation of phytoliths. Restinga plants did not prove to be large producers of phytoliths, except those known as such, as in the case of Poaceae and Cyperaceae. It was also observed that the permanence of phytoliths in sediments is strongly influenced by its particle size and organic matter content. The largest stocks of phytoliths were found in swamp communities, due to the presence of organic matter and low energy dynamics, and in dry forests, where a process of pedogenesis already occurs. Despite the low phytolith stocks present in modern assemblages, they show a high degree of conservation, which enabled significant results for the study of this type of vegetation. The calculated phytolith indices (tree density and water stress) consistently expressed, in detail, the environment of each community analyzed from the point of view of the type of vegetation cover and the conditions of water availability to plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical and anecdotal evidence suggests Brazilian ports are running short in operational capacity for cargo handling and shipping movements. This paper focuses on the joint use of Fuzzy Logic (FL) reasoning and Social Network Analysis (SNA) to assess the cargo allocation pattern in Brazilian ports while shedding some light on policy-making directions and future research venues. Results suggest that cargo allocation patterns vary depending on the cargo type and product type. One can also infer that shippers prioritize distance in relation to other port allocation criteria. In the case of containerized cargo, this may be due to its higher value added compared to bulk cargo. Sensitivity analyses are also performed on the weights of port allocation criteria to explore opportunities for cargo relocation among ports in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian port reform took place in the context of the Brazilian state reform of the 1990s. This process, as expected, was permeated by conflicts, contradictions, and lengthy negotiations. Our goal is to assess the Brazilian port governance changes in the 1993–2013 period, and to identify the main issues related to its implementation, as diverse strategies were adopted. Considering Brazil's foreign trade profile and its role in the international market, the paper covers the period from 1993 to 2013, marked by the publication of two port reform laws, Law 8630 from February 1993 and Law 12815 from June 2013. The methodology is based on critical analysis of the legislation contents, as well as documents of the Special Committees of the National Congress, specialised reports, and reports by the media and interviews with experts. Our findings have identified advances and setbacks in the Brazilian governance model. The results point to a long and controversial process in the 1990s, mainly undertaken by businesses and workers, and, in 2013, by port operators in public ports and private terminals and by potential newcomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a novel measure of affordability for the São Paulo metropolitan region that combines housing costs and transportation costs, including opportunity cost associated with commuting time. The results for the 2007–2013 period indicate that the number of households spending > 30% of their income on housing or 45% or more on housing and transportation costs combined has been increasing rapidly. This measure of affordability that includes transportation costs provides a broader measure of housing needs to guide housing policy in addressing housing conditions that have negative effects on individual and social welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although women's police stations have gained popularity as a measure to address intimate partner violence (IPV), there is little quantitative evaluation of their impacts on the incidence of IPV. This paper estimates the effects of women's police stations in Brazil on female homicides, a measure of the most severe form of IPV. Given that a high fraction of female deaths among women ages 15–49 years can be attributed to aggression by an intimate partner, female homicides appear the best proxy for severe IPV considering the scarcity of data on IPV in Brazil. We assemble a panel of 2074 municipalities from 2004 to 2009 and apply a difference-in-differences approach using location and timing to estimate the effect of establishing a women's police station on the municipal female homicide rate. Although we do not find a strong association on average, women's police stations appear to be highly effective among young women living in metropolitan areas. Establishing a women's police station in a metropolitan municipality is associated with a reduction in the female homicide rate by 1.23 deaths per 100,000 women ages 15–49 years (approximately a 17 percent reduction in the female homicide rate in metropolitan municipalities). The reduction in the homicide rate of women ages 15 to 24 is even higher: 5.57 deaths per 100,000 women. Better economic opportunities and less traditional social norms in metropolitan areas may explain the heterogeneous impacts of women's police stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The roadmap approach has been used to develop future-oriented analysis (FTA) linking technology/innovation, policy, business and social drivers. There has been a growing interest in introducing a systems perspective within the roadmap approach, especially at sectoral level. This paper proposes the use of the ‘functions of innovation systems’ as drivers/layers within sectoral roadmaps, with the purpose of directing decision-making and policy-making efforts towards the functions. We provide the case study of a sectoral roadmap exercise aiming at establishing a non-existing automotive sector in Santa Catarina State, Brazil (a sector which does not exist at present time in the region) by means of integrating the ‘functions approach’ with the roadmapping process. We find the ‘functions approach’ to be a useful approach to support the development of future-oriented analysis by making explicit the current and desired future states of each system's function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion and operation of water supply systems under growing demands, hydrologic variability, and water scarcity requires strategic decisions on supply sources for reducing and improving reliability and flexibility. The design and operation of such supply portfolio merits decisions of what and when to expand, and how much of each source to use considering interest rates, economies of scale and hydrologic variability. This paper provides an integrated framework to optimize water supply system expansions using dynamic programming and combining short and long term water supply source optimization using quadratic programming. The approach represents water supply infrastructure features and hydrologic conditions under increasing water demands. Results allow (a) identification of tradeoffs between cost and reliability of various expansion paths and supply source decisions, and (b) evaluation of potential gains from water system loss reductions, an often neglected supply augmenting alternative in developing countries. Results show the need for supply infrastructure expansions can be dampened by investments in reduction of systemwide losses. A losses reduction program cutting losses in half will cost R$ 532 million annually with a minimum system reliability of 60 percent. This program would yield net savings of 2.7 percent with respect to the status quo annual costs. Decreasing system losses from fifty to five percent, will cost R$ 547 million per year with a minimum system reliability of 87 percent. Earlier investments in system loss reduction programs will greatly improve reliability and system expansion costs. The framework proves its usefulness for planning its transferability to similarly urbanized systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling electronic waste (e-waste) is a major concern due to the risks associated with waste management, namely environmental pollution and negative consequences on individual health. Besides the need for appropriate policies and legislation for e-waste management, consumer awareness about recycling is an important factor. This paper discusses determinants of consumer intentions and behavior towards e-waste recycling in the major metropolitan areas of Brazil, where the consumption of electronic devices and appliances has significantly increased in the past decade. Modeling measures obtained from a general population survey sample after the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we find that the majority of respondents hold a positive intention towards recycling electronic appliances - particularly, female, middle-aged individuals from lower income groups, and residents of the South-east region. Favorable views of recycling and the perceived social acceptance of recycling significantly explain the intention to recycle. In contrast, only a minority of respondents actually adopts adequate recycling practices connected to e-waste, a behavior which is socially skewed among the higher income echelons of Brazilian society. Differences and forces underlying this intention-behavior gap are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of virgin olive oil is beginning in Brazil. This paper analyzes the characteristics of the EVOO Arbequina from Brazil in comparison with Spanish Arbequina from different regions. Quality parameters, oxidative stability, pigments, colour and fatty acid profile were assessed, and relationships with geographic and climatic conditions were studied. All the samples presented good quality and met EU standards for extra-virgin olive oil, but there were significant differences between regions and countries for many of the parameters evaluated. Major differences between Brazilian and Spanish samples were observed for free acidity and colour of the oils, as well as minor variations in the fatty acid profile. The colour differences were related to rainfall, whereas the fatty acid content was strongly influenced by altitude and temperature. These results highlight the fact that geographic area and environmental factors influence the characteristics of Arbequina oil and play an important role in newly introduced cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the analysis made by an article recently published in this journal [1]. The purpose of this manuscript is to bring new contributions to this complex subject, namely the limits to the penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE) into national grids. A detailed and advanced model has been used in this work in order to add further contributions to De Jong et al. [1] findings. For example, by applying an optimization model, we were able to show that the high wind penetration (65%) almost without curtailment found by [1] might not happen, mainly due to inflexibility constraints in Brazilian power plants and also to transmission limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how resource-based windfalls to Brazilian municipalities' revenues affects their provision of education. Using within-municipality variation in per capita oil revenues transferred to municipalities, we find that receiving more oil royalties increases municipal education expenditures, which translates into more teachers, classrooms, and schools per capita. These effects are present only for municipally funded schools, implying that increased educational provision is due to better funding and not through increased demand for schooling. We also find, however, that some evidence that some types of school infrastructure and services may be affected by oil royalties, implying that this additional schooling coverage may be of lower quality. Interestingly, despite the increased provision of education student outcomes like the dropout rate worsen with higher oil royalties, although this may be due to changes in student composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines citizens’ opinions about one crucial factor: the fire that affects the Brazilian savannah “Cerrado”. The paper aims at introducing a new tool that facilitates the assessment of people’s behaviour in order to support practitioners and decision makers to develop management strategies that fostering the environmental conservation, economic growth and human wellbeing. The study applies the network analysis in order to analyse the citizens’ opinions about causes of fire ignition and suppression activities for firefighting evoked by local inhabitants during the face-to-face interviews. The main finding carried out in this work is the usefulness of a cognitive map for synthesising a variety of people’s beliefs. Furthermore, the study reveals the general lack of awareness among people concerning fire use and management and the careless use of fire in rural activities. The chi-square test reveals that natural and physical dimensions affect society’s beliefs with statistical significance p < 0.001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past forty years, Brazilian agriculture has rapidly industrialized elevating the country as the world’s first tropical agricultural giant. Much of the credit for this transformation has gone to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) for their work in the center-west region of the country. This area, known as the Cerrado, industrialized rapidly starting in the early 1970s with the introduction of chemical fertilizers to fix its acidic soils and the development of new seed varieties adapted to the tropics. This paper historicizes the political and social relations behind the industrial transformation of the Cerrado by focusing on the establishment of Embrapa. I argue that US political relations and corporate interests helped to lay the scientific and institutional groundwork for public research in Brazil to ensure long-term industrialization of the Cerrado. The case of Embrapa, and their work in the Cerrado, expands the geographical, political and economic understanding of the deployment of US scientific experts and expertise during the Green Revolution. I show how US and Brazilian scientists, technocrats and investors collaborated in the making of “the Miracle of the Cerrado” in the post-WWII era. This research is based on interviews conducted at Embrapa headquarters and field research sites in Brazil as well as historical archives in both Brazil and the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The policies Brazil has implemented in the last decade to increase social inclusion—based on both socio-economic status and race—might have reduced the educational disadvantages associated with being non-white and poor. Recent research on Latin America has found a strengthening of the association between social origin and educational attainment—at least for early educational transitions—among cohorts who grew up in the 1980s, and a weakening of the association for cohorts growing up in the 2000s. This pattern aligns with signs of declining economic inequality in the continent. However, the decline in economic inequality coupled with an unprecedented expansion of education, including higher education, would suggest a weakening of the influence of social origin on educational opportunity for multiple educational transitions, not only early transitions. The goal of this paper is to examine recent changes in educational inequality by social origin and race in Brazil. We use a unique nationally representative data set collected by ILO in 2013 from respondents age 21–29 to answer the following two questions: As Brazil achieved universal enrollment in primary education and consistently high enrollment levels in secondary education, have the effects of social origin on secondary schooling entrance, secondary schooling completion and college access changed? Has the extent of the non-white disadvantage in education declined for younger cohorts? We provide the first assessment of inequality of opportunity in late educational transitions conducted after these key changes in Brazilian educational policy. The results show that while younger cohorts enjoy more egalitarian educational opportunities relative to older cohorts, important bottlenecks linked to persistent inequalities based on both social origin and race remain, particularly for the completion of secondary schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cement industry is facing important challenges regarding the reduction of raw materials and energy demands, and CO2 emissions. Although many advances have been reached in the last decades through technology improvements, the use of alternative materials and fuels still can be further explored. The Brazilian cement industry is considered energetically efficient. Nevertheless, there are only few scientific studies regarding environmental concerns in the cement production in Brazil. This paper aims to analyze the environmental impacts of the Brazilian cement industry, such as resource depletion and toxicity. The life cycle assessment was used as a methodology to estimate impacts on climate change, ozone depletion, photochemical oxidant formation, particulate matter, terrestrial acidification, freshwater and marine eutrophication, metal and fossil depletion and human, terrestrial, freshwater and marine toxicity. Results clearly show that the transportation step has the largest contribution to those impacts, followed by fossil fuels production and clinkering. Together, these steps are responsible for more than 70% of CO2 equivalent and 90% of CFC-11 equivalent. Thus, the replacement of fossil fuels by alternative fuels can be an option to decrease impacts regarding fossil fuels consumption and atmospheric emissions from the kiln. However, the distances from the source of these alternative fuels to the plant must be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Displacement due to development projects such as dams, mines, and urban infrastructure often leads to livelihood decline among affected communities. The challenge, therefore, lies in implementing projects that achieve national or regional development goals while also generating positive social and economic outcomes for displaced populations. This paper uses a longitudinal, mixed-methods design to understand the short-term changes in wealth and subjective well-being of households displaced due to construction of the Belo Monte Dam in the Brazilian Amazon. The households were compensated by either cash or credit for their lost land and assets, and were then responsible for finding and purchasing new property. Using pre- and post-displacement household survey and semi-structured interview data, as well as data from a small comparison group, I find that wealth increased for the majority of the study population and that socioeconomic inequality decreased, as poorer households experienced greater improvements in housing conditions, assets, and property ownership. In addition, subjective well-being improved for most households, particularly among those who did not own land at baseline, those who gained assets such as vehicles, those who remained closer to the original study area, and those who remained in close proximity to other households from the study population. Moving to an urban destination was strongly associated with declines in well-being, as was moving far from family or friends. These results suggest that investing sufficient resources in a compensation-based resettlement program can benefit households displaced by large infrastructure projects in the short term, but additional data collection is needed after the completion of dam construction to determine whether these benefits are sustained over the longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 40% of the volume of domestic sewage generated in the São Paulo State is untreated and released into water bodies, causing serious pollution problems that affect the water quality and especially the suspended sediments transported by rivers. Thus, this paper investigates the seasonal influence on the origin and fluxes of Cu, Co, Cr, Zn, Cd, Ni, Sc and particulate organic matter (POM) in sediments transported by a disturbed watershed in the São Paulo State, i.e. the Sorocaba River basin. POM was characterized using particulate organic carbon, particulate organic nitrogen, C:N ratio and δ 13 C and δ 15 N stable isotopic composition. Eight sample collections of fine suspended sediments (FSS) were carried out at the mouth of the Sorocaba River from July 2009 to May 2010. During the study period, the discharge rate followed the seasonal variation trend of the past 25 years. Zn was the most abundant trace element in the FSS, followed by Cr, Cu, Ni, Co, Sc and Cd. There was a higher concentration of trace elements during the dry season, except for Sc and Co, which did not vary seasonally. The POM showed the same trend, with higher concentrations during the dry season. The calculated enrichment factors and geoaccumulation index indicated that most of the trace elements are of geogenic origin, except for Zn, which showed significant anthropogenic contributions (55%). The elemental and isotopic analysis of C and N and C:N ratio indicated that the anthropogenic origin of POM found in the FSS is related mainly to domestic sewage (97%), while the significant correlation found between the concentrations of Zn and POM indicates that the main anthropogenic source of Zn is related to this domestic sewage. The FSS load transported during the study period was of 373,194 t y −1 , of which 87% occurred during the rainy season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil has a long history of sugarcane development and since the 2000s has undergone a significant increase in land cultivated with sugarcane. Policy-driven demand and a growing international market mean that sugarcane cultivation in Brazil is expected to increase in the coming years. Rising land prices and strengthened environmental legislation in São Paulo state – where the bulk of production occurs – have led farmers and investors to seek new land to cultivate. As a result, the Centre- West region, including the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, has become an epicentre for sugarcane expansion in Brazil. While the social, economic and environmental impacts of sugarcane have been well documented for the state of São Paulo, much less is known about these impacts in new sugarcane frontier regions. This paper addresses an important gap in the literature through an assessment of the relationship between human development and presence or absence of a sugar mill in municipalities in Mato Grosso do Sul. Drawing on the UN Human Development Index and the Social Responsibility Index of São Paulo, this paper develops a method to examine the relationship between the presence of sugarcane processing mills and human development at the municipal level in Mato Grosso do Sul. The paper finds evidence that municipalities with a mill perform relatively better in terms of human development than those without, but that municipalities with mills already performed relatively better than those without. This raises important questions about how are and where the socio-economic benefits of sugarcane materialise. • Mato Grosso do Sul is an epicentre of sugarcane expansion in Brazil. • Investigates the relationship between human development and presence of a sugarcane mill. • Develops a measure of human development for municipalities in Mato Grosso do Sul. • Finds evidence of a relationship between sugar mills and municipal development. • Preference for establishing mills in the most developed municipalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimate of construction waste generation is the key decision-making information for policy-makers, construction managers, and the like to devise informed waste management strategies. However, estimating construction waste generated from projects is particularly onerous, as numerous factors related to design, site, and construction are largely in a fuzzy nature when the estimating job is conducted. Built upon previous studies, this paper seeks to develop a model that can be used to estimate construction waste generation based on fuzzy set theory. It follows a trilogy of methodology, including model development, sensitivity analysis, and model validation. A set of IF-THEN rules are developed based on two independent variables, built area and number of floors. A sensitive analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence of the independent variables on waste generation. The model is further calibrated and verified through a case study of 23 residential buildings constructed in the Brazilian Amazon. The model obtained an accuracy of 64.29% in the development phase and 66.67% in the validation phase, showing that the results are largely acceptable. By using this model, it is possible for a waste manager to draw up a baseline graph to indicate the volume of construction waste generation as his/her building project as it progresses. The research is also of novelty by using fuzzy set theory to deal with the fuzzy nature of waste generation in construction projects. Further studies are recommended to enhance the accuracy level of the model by engaging more factors and more quality data. • The paper aims to develop a model to quantify waste generation in the Amazon, Brazil. • The model considers the fuzziness of factors that could impact waste generation. • Number of floors, and construction floor areas are critical factors. • The model obtained an accuracy of 64.29% in the development phase. • The model accuracy can be improved by engaging more factors and more quality data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century has witnessed a resurgence of hydropower projects across the globe, with the energy source an integral part of contemporary sustainable energy transitions. Yet, the environmentalist credentials of hydropower remain contested by anti-dam movements. This paper details the cases of the Belo Monte and São Luiz do Tapajós dams in the Brazilian Amazon to explore how the development, submission and acceptance of an Environmental Impact Assessment provides a key site in the contestation of hydroelectric projects. Whilst the provision of this document – and the wider environmental licensing process – represents a key component in the asserted 'green-ness' of hydropower, opposition groups extend the scope of analysis to include indirect and cumulative impacts that remain understudied in official assessments. This paper analyses interviews and questionnaires with and documents provided by national and international civil society organisations to trace this process of challenge and critique. It details how civil society actors forward alternative assessments of the impacts of the projects studied, uncovering and illuminating overlooked and understudied externalities of hydropower in the Brazilian Amazon. An analysis of this process not only demonstrates that the 'green' credentials of hydropower remain far from assured but also highlights how anti-dam actors advance new 'sustainabilities' to discredit the terrain upon which such credentials are set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and sanitation regulation in Brazil shall be addressed as part of a major problem that involves institutional disputes and legal uncertainty. The paper investigates the hypothesis that the complex institutional framework plays a central role in explaining country's poor performance in the sector. Methodology is mainly qualitative, presenting an analysis that shows how political, institutional and legal hurdles play a major role in explaining the government's inability to secure a financially self-sustainable structure to the sector. The paper suggests that empowering the National Water Agency to issue general guidelines may help reducing transaction costs and fostering sector's development. • Being a three-level federative country leads to legal uncertainty in water tariffs' regulation. • There has been legal disputes between municipalities and states about sanitation regulation. • Institutional, economic and legal constraints play a major role in setting sanitation tariffs. • Judicial precedents play a key role in designing sanitation tariffs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, bioelectricity generation from sugarcane bagasse and black liquor is regarded as a sustainable electricity supply option. However, questions regarding land use, investment decisions, and demand for paper, ethanol and sugar make its future role uncertain. The aim of this paper is to present a novel modelling framework based on a soft-link between a multi-sectoral Brazilian integrated assessment model (MUSE-Brazil) and an electricity portfolio optimisation model (EPOM). The proposed framework is capable of dynamically simulating sectoral electricity demand, regional bioenergy production under land use constraints and optimal power sector technological shares in each of the electricity subsystems. Considering Brazil under a 2 °C carbon budget, two scenarios based on economic attractiveness of producing second-generation ethanol have been investigated. Under the scenario where second-generation ethanol is not produced, outputs indicate that by 2050, Brazil would increase sugarcane and wood production by 68% and 49% respectively without causing direct or indirect deforestation. Agriculture intensification is evidenced as an alternative for reducing land use disruptions. Bioelectricity share is projected to remain around 9–10%. However, if second generation ethanol becomes cost-effective, thus limiting bagasse availability, the share of bioelectricity production would decrease to approximately 7.7%, with natural gas-fired plants playing a stronger role in the future power system expansion, causing an increase on electricity sector emissions. • A novel framework considering energy systems and portfolio optimisation is proposed. • Two different carbon constrained bioelectricity scenarios in Brazil are investigated. • Power system emissions could represent between 13.3% and 14.5% of the carbon budget. • Controlling deforestation in the Amazon is fundamental to reach mitigation targets. • Bioelectricity potential is considerably reduced when 2G ethanol is produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper evaluates the impact of early-life rainfall on adult health and socioeconomic outcomes in Brazil. • Critical periods include in utero conditions as well as the first three years of life, with heterogeneity by gender. • Our results depend on the definition of critical periods and how rainfall variation is measured. Recent literature provides evidence that income shocks early in life can have long-run consequences on adult welfare. Rural Brazil frequently suffers from rainfall variations that negatively impact vulnerable households, who often lack the means for coping with these events. This paper evaluates how early-life rainfall shocks influence adult health and socioeconomic outcomes in Brazil. We find evidence that several critical periods can produce long-run consequences. Using rainfall deviations, our two most robust results are that greater rainfall in utero negatively impacts adult incomes (finding that a one standard deviation increase in rainfall causes adult incomes to fall by 7–10 percent) and that greater rainfall in the second and third years of life improve adult health (increasing body mass index by 0.16). However, our results depend crucially on our choices regarding two features. First, our results differ across two common measures of critical periods, which are used to define shocks relative to the timing of one's birth. Second, the way rainfall variation is measured also matters, with use of an extreme weather indicator suggesting heterogeneous effects by gender, with extreme weather negatively impacting women's health (both before and after birth) but positively affecting several men's outcomes (both before and after birth). We find some evidence that mortality selection may drive some of these results. This paper provides further evidence that early-life shocks (from in utero through the third year of life) can cause long-run consequences, but also suggests that more attention should be paid to the specific measurement and timing of rainfall shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper investigates the efficiency of the Brazilian Rail Cargo System. • The methodology combined TOPSIS with a genetic algorithm to build optimized scenarios. • The significant attributes in scenarios of low and high performance were highlighted. • Transport of any kind of cargo, and shared railway are significant for the results. • Competition and diversification are key elements for high performance. A railway system plays a significant role in countries with large territorial dimensions. The Brazilian rail cargo system (BRCS), however, is focused on solid bulk for export. This paper investigates the extreme performances of BRCS through a new hybrid model that combines TOPSIS with a genetic algorithm for estimating the weights in optimized scenarios. In a second stage, the significance of selected variables was assessed. The transport of any type of cargo, a centralized control of the operation, and sharing the railway track pushing competition, and the diversification of services are significant for high performance. Public strategies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Affirmative action led to more disadvantaged students enrolling in Brazilian universities. • Policy effects were concentrated within the most competitive programs. • Race-neutral policies did not increase the enrollment of Black students. This paper investigates how the adoption of affirmative action for college admission affected the enrollment of students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Brazil. We explore the time heterogeneity of policy adoption by universities to identify the policy impacts while accounting for contemporaneous confounding effects. Our study shows that the adoption of affirmative action increased the enrollment of students from groups explicitly targeted by each policy, particularly public high-school students and Blacks. 1 1 The standard racial/skin-color categories used by the Brazilian Statistical Agency (IBGE) include: Branco (light-skinned), Preto (black-skinned), Amarelo (yellow – mainly referring to Chinese and Japanese origin), Pardo (brown-skinned or mixed) and Indígena (Indigenous). The Portuguese term " Pardo" is especially ambiguous (Cicalò, 2008), and any direct translation to English may be misleading. Therefore, we use the original Portuguese terms to refer to the standard racial categories used in Brazil. However, Brazilian affirmative action policies with a racial component were mostly defined to target the combined group of Pretos and Pardos , without any differentiation between those groups. Therefore, in this paper, we use the English word " Black" to refer to the combined group of Pretos and Pardos. We note that the word negro is sometimes used in Brazil to refer to that same combined group , however, this is not a consistent definition, especially in terms of racial identity as not all pardos may consider themselves as negros (Francis & Tannuri-Pianto, 2012a). Therefore, our definition of the term "Black" should not be considered a direct translation of the Portuguese term Negro. We also demonstrate that these effects were concentrated within more competitive and more prestigious academic programs. Lastly, we find that universities that adopted affirmative action policies with explicit racial criteria experienced an increase in the enrollment of Black students whereas universities that adopted race-neutral policies had no significant changes in the racial profile of their students. These results indicate that affirmative action policies were successful in improving access to higher education for targeted groups. However, we also identify important limitations of these policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper pursued to evaluate the residents' evaluation on the smart sustainable city and the sense of community. The study analyzed interviews with 392 citizens from five neighboring cities from a micro-region in southern Brazil. Factorial analysis and linear regression were applied. The investigation recognized three factors for smart sustainable cities evaluation: public services and facilities; material well-being, and environmental well-being. Linear regression reveals that residents' satisfaction with the city is predicated on the material well-being, public services and facilities, environmental well-being, and sense of community, which explain 40.2% of satisfaction with the city. Considering a smart sustainable city viewpoint, the study accomplishes that: (i) policies should be projected from the neighborhood standpoint, due to the facility of understanding shared values (ii) sense of community should be included in policies for smart sustainable city; (iii) the design of neighborhoods and cities should prioritize social interactions, with the view to build social capital and facilitate policies implementation. By integrating the smartness to sustainability approaches in the city context, this study intends to contribute to a major discussion on sustainable development, with special attention to residents' evaluation. Finally, the paper offers pertinent outcomes for urban planners and social researchers, by finding factors that influence the sense of community and residents' evaluation on their city and by offering elements for academic, political and debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a detailed morphological study of Cousteaudinium aubryae (de Verteuil and Norris, 1996) from Miocene deposits of the Pelotas Basin, southern Brazil. C. aubryae is a cyst of an autotrophic dinoflagellate with a great intraspecific morphological variability, evidenced by cavation type and degree, perforations and wall projections. Four morphotypes were identified, which are comparable with specimen records from other continents (e.g. North America and Europe). C. aubryae last occurred in the Pelotas Basin at levels chronocorrelated to the Helicosphaera ampliaperta calcareous nannofossil zone (N-570), suggesting age between Burdigalian and Langhian for the deposits of the Imbé and Cifreira formations. Integration of species records from different latitudes shows a paleobiogeographic distribution pattern predominantly in mid-latitudes, suggesting that C. aubryae was better adapted to non-tropical and no-polar climatic conditions during the early to mid Miocene. • C. aubryae is characterized by a great intraspecific morphological variability. • Last occurred of the C. aubryae in basin is calibrated by calcareous nannofossils. • Paleomap indicated adaptation to non-tropical and no-polar climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Paper studies wages differentials across levels of governments in Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay. • National government employees earn on average higher wages than observationally similar subnational employees, but difference disappears once individual heterogeneity is considered. • National and subnational public employees receive on average a wage premium with respect to private sector employment. • Results indicate public sector employees are positively selected in terms of their earnings potential in the private sector. Workers at subnational governments play a prominent role in the delivery of public services in most countries. Yet, information about their remuneration is scarce. Using data for Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay, we document that national government employees earn on average higher wages than observationally similar subnational employees; consequently, public–private sector wage gaps vary significantly by level of government. Then we use individual fixed-effects to estimate the wage premium to public sector employment (the wage gap net of selection effects) for Brazil and Mexico. We find that (i) both national and subnational public employees receive a significant wage premium with respect to private sector employment; and (ii) the difference between the national and subnational wage premiums is small in Brazil and null in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of the paleoenvironmental evolution of the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, Brazil, at the Albian/Cenomanian boundary, based on ostracods obtained from drill core UFRJ-2-LRJ-1-SE. The variability in the composition of the ostracod fauna allowed for the identification of the stratigraphic cycles throughout the studied sequence. A total of 2292 ostracod specimens were obtained from 44 samples. Ostracod abundance, diversity and richness led to the identification of five ostracod biofacies (A , B , C , D , E), each associated with different paleoenvironmental changes. Combined with available lithological data, we suggest the presence of three 4th order transgressive (T) regressive (R) cycles in the studied section, with the maximum flooding surfaces (MFSs) being delineated by the decrease in the relative abundance of ostracods, and the maximum regression surfaces (MRSs) being characterized by the increase in the relative abundance and diversity of ostracods. Furthermore, the T-R1, T-R2, and T-R3 sequences can be correlated with the global eustatic sea level curve. The stratigraphic distribution of the ostracod biofacies suggests that the studied section was deposited in a middle to outer shelf environment. The transition from a carbonate shelf to a slope environment in the Riachuelo Formation is here suggested as being characterized by the presence of Eucytherura amoriensis , which can be used to track these changes in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin. The similarity of the paleoenvironments and the ostracod fauna of the Sergipe Group and of the Talme Yafe Group from Israel suggests that there is a close relationship between the depositional environments of these two regions. • Use of ostracods for stratigraphic sequence interpretation in the Sergipe Basin. • Regressive Maximum Surfaces related to high values of ostracod abundance/richness. • Reconstruction of the paleoenvironments of the Albian/Cenomanian transition. • E. amorienses defined as a transitional paleoenvironmental marker or indicator. • Neorichterina is likely associated with ecozones related to sea level falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way vegetation is officially named, classified, and identified has critical implications for ecosystems and biodiversity conservation. Yet little attention is given to how such issues hinder the efficacy of laws mandating environmental conservation on private land. In the Brazilian Amazon where half of the land is now already under private tenure or is available for future land-uses, differences in vegetation mapping and interpretation directly affect the level of protection in private rural properties, especially in transition areas where forest and savanna areas intermingle. Since Brazil's Native Vegetation Protection Law (NVPL) attaches a higher percentage of protection to forest-located properties, landowners may be tempted to use conflicting mappings and different vegetation classifications to claim their properties are located in areas other than forests to reduce their conservation requirements. In this paper, we compare three official vegetation databases and examine different law interpretation scenarios to assess the extent to which the level of private conservation may fluctuate. We found a difference of up to 430,000 km2 of protected vegetation (an area the size of Iraq) according to the database and vegetation characteristics chosen. This technical ambiguity may lead to make additional deforestation legal or reduce sharply the amount of vegetation to be restored for these areas, if left unaddressed. Clarifying the database and criteria used to define forest is critical, especially as Brazilian states may make different choices in that regard, and cases in which loopholes are exploited occurred in the recent past. Given the importance of this region for global biodiversity conservation and climate, we highlight the urgent need to: (1) support additional research to clarify vegetation characteristics and location; (2) agree on a harmonized methodology to determine forests for NVPL implementation, and (3) explore alternative criteria for defining forests when databases conflict. • Accurate native vegetation mapping is key to private forest conservation. • Uncertain vegetation classification weakens compliance with Brazil's forest law. • Study provides scenarios exploring the implications of multiple vegetation databases. • 430,000 square kilometers of the Brazilian Amazon are at risk of reduced protection. • Both deforestation and native vegetation restoration are affected by this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product obsolescence represents a major challenge for sustainability. Deliberate curtailment of product lifespan and the symbolic devaluation of devices appear especially acute in the electronics segment, thus pushing up e-waste volumes. However, consumer reactions to these processes as well as their own enactment of psychological obsolescence remain understudied. Based on a representative urban sample survey of 806 Brazilians, this paper discusses the dissonance between consumers' product longevity experience, orientations to replace devices before terminal technical failure, and perceptions of industry responsibility and performance. Results indicate an experience of shortened product lifespan over time, which trails expectations of product longevity, although this fails to fuel consumer dissatisfaction. Technical failure is far surpassed by subjective obsolescence as a motive for rapid product replacement. While individuals acknowledge corporations' role in contrived product replacement, they do not seem to condemn this behavior. We conclude that Brazilians naturalize obsolescence by adjusting downwardly their product lifespan management behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs on crime. Making use of a unique dataset combining detailed school characteristics with geo-referenced crime information from the city of São Paulo, Brazil, we estimate the contemporaneous effect of the Bolsa Família program on crime. We address the endogeneity of CCT coverage by exploiting the 2008 expansion of the program to adolescents aged 16 and 17. We construct an instrument that combines the timing of expansion with the initial demographic composition of schools to identify plausibly exogenous variation in the number of children covered by Bolsa Família . We find a robust and significant negative impact of Bolsa Família on crime. Incapacitation from time spent in school does not seem to be an important driving force behind the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of Payments for Environmental Services (PES) projects depends, in a large part, on the respect to the necessary conditions for implementing it. These preconditions are seldom studied in the literature and few authors exploit this subject. They are mostly concerned about analyzing if experiences fit the concept of PES or are successful, instead of understanding the reasons of this success. There are, thought, few authors concerned about the relevance on making ex ante analysis and looking at some preconditions, such as informational, economic, cultural, institutional, and competitive preconditions. This paper is concerned about a previous investigation of a project called Cotriguaçu Sempre Verde (CSV) in Mato Grosso and the extent to which it would be able to shelter a PES. All of these conditions were analyzed and sustained the decision taken by proponents of the initiative to not include a PES in the project. This analysis will contribute knowledge to stakeholders that are designing and implementing PES projects, and it should be part of the protocol for all PES initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the main technique for evaluate the environmental impacts of product life cycles. A major challenge in the field of LCA is spatial and temporal differentiation in Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods, especially impacts resulting from land occupation and land transformation. Land use characterization modeling has advanced considerably over the last two decades and many approaches have recently included crucial aspects such as geographic differentiation. Nevertheless, characterization models have so far not been systematically reviewed and evaluated to determine their applicability to South America. Given that Brazil is the largest country in South America, this paper analyzes the main international characterization models currently available in the literature, with a view to recommending regionalized models applicable on a global scale for land use life cycle impact assessments, and discusses their feasibility for regionalized assessment in Brazil. The analytical methodology involves classification based on the following criteria: midpoint/endpoint approach, scope of application, area of data collection, biogeographical differentiation, definition of recovery time and reference situation; followed by an evaluation of thirteen scientific robustness and environmental relevance subcriteria. The results of the scope of application are distributed among 25% of the models developed for the European context, and 50% have a global scope. There is no consensus in the literature about the definition of parameters such biogeographical differentiation and reference situation, and our review indicates that 35% of the models use ecoregion division while 40% use the concept of potential natural vegetation. Four characterization models show high scores in terms of scientific robustness and environmental relevance. These models are recommended for application in land use life cycle impact assessments, and also to serve as references for the development or adaptation of regional methodological procedures for Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil was the first country to submit a reference level (RL) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) aiming to claim results-based payments for reduced emissions from deforestation in the REDD+ mechanism. This voluntary RL submission has passed an official technical assessment process by the UNFCCC on the accordance of the data and method applied, which was finalised in December 2014. After years of international negotiations this has become possible by the REDD+ framework finally agreed. Although never formally adopted, the rules of procedure of the UNFCCC foresee consensus among the 196 parties to the convention. Due to the wide heterogeneity in national circumstances and capacities between these parties, the decided REDD+ framework represents a compromise, and in some points space for interpretation remains due to a lack of clear definitions. E.g., no internationally standardised method exists for the design of RLs under UNFCCC; rather each country has the possibility to apply its own approach within a given range of requirements. We argue that these nationally designed RLs involve the danger of raising a ‘cherry-picking’ mentality, which would reduce cost-efficiency of the payments. Especially in the light of the ongoing pressure to fight anthropogenic global climate change, the overall objective of REDD+ should be climate effectiveness. Therefore, apparently contradictory objectives—of integrating as many developing countries as possible, by keeping the barriers low, and of effective emission reductions by persisting on strict rules for national carbon accounting—had to be balanced. According to the technical assessment by the UNFCCC, the submitted Brazilian RL fulfils all formal requirements. However, as implication of the negotiated framework, there remain some questions on the climate effectiveness and the cost-efficiency of the submitted approach, which this viewpoint paper aims to critically reflect. Brazil chose for its present RL design the eligible options of a subnational coverage, with consideration of the activity of deforestation only. But only comprehensive accounting of all activities on national scale can ensure that all potential emissions are accounted for. By the present accounting gap, doubts on climate effectiveness arise. Furthermore, Brazil chose a fixed starting year for historic emissions and did not consider national circumstances, which results in reference emissions of about 1100 Mt CO 2 /a between 2006 and 2010. This potentially profitable RL setting for Brazil raises doubt on the cost-efficiency of the implied REDD+ payment. Whether these problems arising from the four eligible but critical RL options applied by Brazil emerge in other RLs as well, was checked for further five RL proposals submitted up to now. None of these country submissions has passed the technical assessment yet. The submitted approaches for RL design differ among the considered countries but one can see a tendency towards profitable individual RL definitions, similar to the Brazilian RL. From our findings we conclude that individually determined RLs without standardised methods bear the risk of national ‘cherry-picking’ which can compromise climate effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the whole REDD+ mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the environmental impacts of a refrigerator recycling system in Brazil and quantifies its ecological advantages over primary resource production through a Life Cycle Assessment based on ISO 14040. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) accounts for savings of 720 kg CO 2 -eq per recycled refrigerator on average, thus demonstrating that an environmentally sound recycling process holds substantial emission reduction potential. In addition, the application of the recycling process in conjunction with collection and reverse logistics of refrigerators in a recycling system can reduce energy demand in Brazil by an average of 1.5 GJ per recycled unit. As a result, refrigerator recycling systems qualify as a valid and scalable energy efficiency measure in accordance with the Brazilian national framework for the evaluation of energy efficiency projects (PROPEE). The energy economics for projects based on recycling systems are shown for the 30 largest energy distributors in Brazil. Available budgets, calculated with diagnostics undertaken in conformity with the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) for a threshold value (cost-benefit ratio = 0.8), clearly indicate the viability and competitiveness of these recycling systems as project opportunities for energy conservation under the national energy regulation agency ANEEL's energy efficiency program (PEE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comparative analysis of energy governance regarding nonconventional renewable energy sources (NCRES) in Brazil and Germany. Brazil is a world leader in the use of conventional renewable energy sources, such as hydro power, while Germany has been achieving outstanding results in fostering NCRES. The focus is on two critical issues: the legal and regulatory framework and the institutions created to support the NCRES market development. The comparison shows that, despite the very different energy situations and policy drivers, valuables lessons can be extracted from the German experience. The main lesson for Brazil is to think NCRES as a strategic opportunity to rely less on fossil fuel and large hydroelectric power plants, to decentralize the electric power sector, to use the huge solar, biomass and wind power potential available in the country and to create a environment-friendly NCRES industry. To this end, three critical points were identified: (1) the legal and regulatory framework should be improved; (2) long-term energy planning taking into account social, economic and climate issues and; (3) the current institutions supporting NCRES in Brazil should be upgraded and/or new ones, such as more specific energy agencies, should be created. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on gene-environment interaction was facilitated by breakthroughs in molecular biology in the late 20th century, especially in the study of mental health. There is a reliable interaction between candidate genes for depression and childhood adversity in relation to mental health outcomes. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of culture in this process in an urban community in Brazil. The specific cultural factor examined is cultural consonance, or the degree to which individuals are able to successfully incorporate salient cultural models into their own beliefs and behaviors. It was hypothesized that cultural consonance in family life would mediate the interaction of genotype and childhood adversity. In a study of 402 adult Brazilians from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, conducted from 2011 to 2014, the interaction of reported childhood adversity and a polymorphism in the 2A serotonin receptor was associated with higher depressive symptoms. Further analysis showed that the gene-environment interaction was mediated by cultural consonance in family life, and that these effects were more pronounced in lower social class neighborhoods. The findings reinforce the role of the serotonergic system in the regulation of stress response and learning and memory, and how these processes in turn interact with environmental events and circumstances. Furthermore, these results suggest that gene-environment interaction models should incorporate a wider range of environmental experience and more complex pathways to better understand how genes and the environment combine to influence mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydropower is the backbone of the Brazilian electricity generation sector. Even though the use of this resource is advantaged in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, last years׳ severe droughts have exposed the country׳s huge dependency on hydroelectricity. Brazil׳s electricity supply system has shown to be vulnerable to electricity shortages and has demanded significant overhaul in order to address its challenges. The present paper provides a comprehensive review of the current status of the Brazilian electricity sector and discusses diversification of electricity generation mix as a strategy to improve electricity supply security in the country. An overview of the main features of the energy sources applied in Brazil is also presented through a review of the latest available generation data. The central section of this work is a discussion of the main causes of the current crisis and the future role of renewable energy sources in a 10-year perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past ten years, efforts have been made in the Paraty region of Brazil towards more active state governance of coastal resources through the implementation and enforcement of various types of protected areas. Trindade is one of the communities making efforts to advocate for themselves as the key stakeholders in a negotiation process for a no-take protected area management plan. As is happening across South America, there has been a shift in policy in Brazil towards participatory environmental governance practices. The objective of this paper is to analyze the quality of community participation in a resource governance process, the perceptions of participating and non-participating community members, and the actual influence of community participants on the protected area management plan under review (in 2012/2013). The research was conducted as interdisciplinary action research. Data were collected through a qualitative approach, using mixed methods of narratives, interviews, focus groups, participant observation and workshops. The negotiation process and community participation in this negotiation process was studied through observation of meetings. Analysis of the negotiation process revealed the importance that community participants place on their rights as Caiçaras, and four further key themes emerged; communication disconnect, opportunity and capacity to participate, representation and decision-making, and conflict. Meaningful participation in natural resources management has not yet been achieved in the process reviewed. The process described is the initial phase of a long-term relationship between community members and government authorities, and changes need to be made so that the desired outcomes for natural resources management are more likely to be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct seeding mulch-based cropping (DMC) systems are often considered as an efficient way of combining ecological sustainability and economic viability while maintaining or increasing agricultural productivity. This paper describes a modelling analysis of the functioning of family farms in rural settlements of the agrarian reform in the Cerrados of Brazil. The aim was to assess the impact of the introduction of DMC systems with and without cover crops on crop-livestock management and net household income. A bio-economic farm model based on optimization of a utility function under multiple constraints was developed, capturing the interactions between livestock activities and the introduction of DMC systems. The model was run for six farms representing three farm types in the study area: 1) subsistence-oriented mixed crop-livestock farms; 2) market-oriented dairy farms; and 3) mixed crop-livestock farms, oriented to meat marketing. The following maize-based DMC systems were evaluated: a DMC system with mulch from residues of the previous maize crop and no cover crop, and two DMC systems with a fodder species, Brachiaria brizanta or Cajanus cajan , as cover crop. The simulated adoptability of DMC systems by farmers of the assentamentos depended to a large extent on the yields and feed quality of the fodder species. The modelling results suggested that DMC with C. cajan as cover crop was the best suitable option for all simulated farm types. This was mainly explained by its high feed value (expressed in crude protein content). Furthermore, in the process of intensification and specialization in dairy production, farmers were likely to shift from using maize for pig husbandry to feeding it to the dairy cows. The introduction of cover crops in the farm systems was a source of additional animal feed during the dry season that was cheaper than the purchase of feed concentrates, when the size of the dairy herd did not exceed a certain threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary This paper discusses South–South cooperation by examining ProSAVANA, a flagship agricultural development program seeking to apply Brazilian experience to Mozambique. ProSAVANA is a joint Japan–Brazil–Mozambique initiative in the savannah zone of Mozambique’s Nacala Corridor region that was initially inspired by the Japan–Brazil PRODECER program in Brazil’s Cerrado region. ProSAVANA subsequently became the focus of fears about land-grabbing in the Nacala Corridor, attracting strong civil society contestation. We show how distinct imaginaries of agricultural development in Mozambique and Brazil were used to mobilize for and against ProSAVANA, thus revealing the contentious nature of the similarity claims underpinning South–South cooperation. In particular, we focus on the role of landscape imaginaries associated with the savannah and the Cerrado. We examine the use in the promotion and contestation of ProSAVANA of visual representations that draw on these imaginaries, including GIS maps of Mozambique’s savannah region made by Brazilian agribusiness consultants and an advocacy video of Brazil’s Cerrado region filmed by Mozambican land rights activists. Noting that the latest ProSAVANA planning documents differ significantly from those expressing its initial vision, we argue that the contestation of ProSAVANA has had a series of productive effects even before the program has moved to full implementation. These productive effects are visible not only in the program itself but also in the wider context of state-society relations shaping debates on South–South cooperation in Mozambique, Brazil, and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The rise of new powers in development has generated much debate on the extent to which South–South Cooperation (SSC) constitutes a new paradigm of development more relevant to African needs or a disguise for a new form of imperialism. This paper critically examines the rise of Chinese and Brazilian technical and economic cooperation in African agriculture with two cases drawn from Ghana and Mozambique. Using a historical framework, policy documents, case studies, and an analysis of the political economy of agrarian development, we trace the role of agricultural development in the relations of China and Brazil in Africa, and the extents to which recent developments in agribusiness and structural neoliberal reforms of African economies have influenced Brazilian and Chinese contemporary engagements with African agriculture. We examine the extent to which the different policy frameworks, political interests in agriculture, and institutional frameworks influence and impede the outcomes of Chinese and Brazilian development intents. We find that China and Brazil have different histories of experience within African agriculture, which influences the nature of their technical and development cooperation. Although they have distinct agrarian structures, the development of agribusiness and commercial seed, input and machinery sectors in China and Brazil influence engagements within Africa. These are often variants of the same interests that underlie the programs of northern donors, and frequently the two rising powers engage in trilateral arrangements with other donors and international agencies, particularly in the case of Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil, the 5th largest country by landmass and the 8th largest by Gross Domestic Product, continues to grow both in population as well as in construction. Major construction investments in Brazil has increased the demand for concrete. Taking into account the constant growth in population in the past 20 years, this paper presents an innovative solution that could potentially decrease the cost of concrete, while also helping to preserve the environment. The solution proposes using the hazardous waste (sludge) from Brazil's water purification system, Estação de Tratamento de Água (ETA), as an alternative aggregate for concrete. Sludge is a type of hazardous waste produced by the water purification process. With the dramatic growth in Brazil's population, the demand for drinking water has caused there to be an overabundance of hazardous waste. Sludge, if disposed inappropriately, harms the environment. Using sludge in concrete will minimize the amount harming the environment and provide a low-cost solution to aggregates needed in concrete. The research reviews and analyzes the implementation and feasibility of this solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the decomposition analysis of energy-related CO 2 emissions in Brazil and Russia from 1992 to 2011. The refined Laspeyres index (RLI) method applied and both aggregated and sectoral changes in CO 2 emissions decomposed. Brazil’s and Russia’s economies divided into three economic sectors including agriculture, industry and services. Impact of four main factors, such as economic activity, employment, energy intensity, and carbon intensity in CO 2 emissions changes were analyzed. The aggregated decomposition analysis revealed that Brazil is still far from a decoupling between economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions where Russia achieved a substantial decline in carbon emissions mainly due to the improved energy intensity. The empirical findings of sectoral decomposition analysis emphasized that the economic activity was the major CO 2 increasing factor in Brazil’s economic sectors. On the other hand the economic activity effect followed a reducing impact in Russia’s sectoral emissions until 2000. The structural changes between sectors and their impacts on CO 2 emissions were captured by employment effect. Energy intensity and carbon intensity effects underlined that environmental sustainability widely neglected in Brazil and Russia during the study period. The results yield important hints for energy planning and sustainable environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas anchor the ecological infrastructure that societies need for long-term prosperity and provide benefits to local, national, and global stakeholders. However, these areas continue to go unfunded. In this paper, we have provided the first estimate of the return on investment for nine large protected areas that compose the core of the ecological infrastructure of the State of Amapá, which is located in a new forest frontier in Brazilian Amazonia. These nine protected areas will require US $147.2 million over five years in order to be established and then US $32.7 million in annual recurrent costs. If implemented, these nine protected areas have the potential to contribute at least US $362.4 million per year in benefits (timber, non-timber forest products, nature-based tourism, fisheries, and carbon) to the local economy. The return on investment (ROI) of these protected areas will be 1.6% during the first five years and 10% thereafter; however, ROI could reach 45.8% or more if option and non-use values are also included as benefits. Although the costs of establishing the protected area system in Amapá are higher (US $3.2–3.5 ha − 1 y − 1 ) than the costs reported in other tropical forest regions (US $0.2–0.4 ha − 1 y − 1 ), the investments required are within the reach of both state and national governments. Our study shows that if fully implemented, protected areas can become engines for socio-economic upliftment, making the conservation-centered development model a feasible option for most of the world's new forest frontiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]