Suchergebnisse

This article examines the cycles of economic development in the Brazilian Amazon, in a historical perspective, aiming at understanding current prospects. From the colonial period until today, the Amazon has been integrated into the national and world economies in a subordinate manner, by providing agricultural, mineral and livestock commodities. This subordinated integration has led to generalized deforestation in the Amazon region, mostly due to the expansion of livestock. Both agribusiness and small producers integrated into agribusiness have participated in this process. Although cattle ranching, the current main agribusiness in the Amazon, leads the current economic cycle, the rates of deforestation are dropping. It is regarded as a consequence of public policies that have managed to tackle environmental and economic impacts; however, social impacts, especially of small producers and other communities, remain overlooked. The article questions whether this state of affairs is circumstantial and whether it may give way to renewed deforestation and expansion of cattle ranching. The text concludes with policy recommendations for fostering sustainable development in the Amazon.

From 1992 to 2012, the Brazilian government, together with international development agencies representing the G7, implemented the Pilot Programme to Conserve the Brazilian Rainforests (PPG7). This intended to promote sustainable development in the Amazon forest area, with a key component being community-based agro-ecological and agroforestry production for the market. These projects, called 'demonstration projects', have provided financial credit to peasant-based organizations with some history of political and trade-union activity. However, by making a very selective use of approaches to rural development and overlooking the economic component of development in the agrarian sector, these projects seem to have resulted in a number of negative impacts for peasants and small-scale rural producers that remain overlooked in PPG7 official evaluations.

Análises sobre internacionalização de terras têm partido de duas premissas: a de que a corrida por terras tem a função principal de promover a produção de alimentos, e a de que a falta de informações sobre transações é derivada do fato de o cadastro mantido pelo governo ser de preenchimento voluntário. Esse trabalho argumenta que não ocorre falta de informações, mas sim um controle de informações que, por lei, devem existir. O texto também questiona se a agropecuária deverá ser a principal finalidade dos investimentos. Para isso, analisa o preço da terra no Brasil, e as condições de acesso e produtividade à luz dos debates sobre "land grabbing", e argumenta que as dimensões de usos múltiplos e flexíveis pautam os investimentos por possibilitar maior retorno sobre o capital com menores riscos, o que ocorre no setor de madeira. O Brasil possui a maior produtividade mundial em florestas plantadas, as quais têm observado grande crescimento em todo o mundo. Por terem usos múltiplos e flexíveis, as florestas plantadas devem atrair "land grabbing" ligado a atuais processos produtivos industriais, e também à nova bioeconomia. Resta saber como o país irá se inserir nessa nova especialização produtiva.

The Mediterranean Sea is complex in its physiography (the average depth is 1,500 m, the deepest point is 5,267 m, with large shallow areas, like in the North Adriatic), in its ecology, in its social dimensions, in terms of interconnections between human activities and environmental characteristics. Surrounded by 22 countries, the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea house more than 150 million inhabitants together with a unique natural and cultural heritage, with over 400 UNESCO sites and several Marine Protected Areas. Today, is felt that the peculiarities of the Mediterranean offer major local opportunities for Blue Growth, from fisheries and tourism to energy and maritime transport. All traditional as well as emerging maritime economic sectors currently operating in the Mediterranean are expected to grow and expand over the next years with a consequent need to better consider the environmental impacts. The need for protecting the vulnerable ecosystem has been recognized since the adoption in 1976 of the Convention for Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution (Barcelona Convention) by all countries with a Mediterranean shoreline as well as the European Union. The situation is more complicated from the point of view of the use of resources. Most Mediterranean States have established a 12-mile territorial sea, reduced to 6 mile in some cases, but few started the process for establishing Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as defined and regulated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC). Therefore, the existence of a large area of high seas in the Mediterranean requires a high level of cooperation between coastal states to ensure the sustainable utilization of resources (e.g. for fisheries). In this context, the challenge for a properly assessed allocation of marine space to the concurrent activities taking place on (and in) the sea, is higher, but probably also more necessary than elsewhere. The ADRIPLAN pilot project, focused in a part of Mediterranean quite complicated indeed, the ...

The Lagoon of Marano and Grado has been experiencing some remarkable environmental impacts, which have affected the high-value natural ecosystem and consequently influenced relevant socio-economic aspects. One of the main problems relates to the diffuse contamination of soil and groundwater in the mainland, as well as sediments in rivers and in the lagoon itself. The need to ensure safe navigation conditions in the lagoon and in the Corno River serving Porto Nogaro harbour is another critical emergency. Other environmental issues of concern are: loss of morphological diversity, watershed basins' pollution loads and protection of lagoon habitats. Due to the emergency situation, a Special Commissioner has been appointed by the national government to proceed with the resolution of the most critical problems. A specific "Operational Plan of interventions" was therefore elaborated in 2009. Approaching problems and solutions in an integrated way, the Plan represents one of the tools for the sustainable development of the lagoon. It strongly supports the adoption of adaptive management, foreseeing the periodical updating and improvement of objectives, strategies and interventions. The Plan also identifies the need for coordination among institutions and involvement of stakeholders as key elements for the implementation of adaptive management.

Poster presented during the H2020 "MUSES" project stakeholder workshop 'Embracing opportunities – Ocean Multi-Use Action Plan development workshop' (Venice - June 27th, 2018). The poster analyses the potential for development of Multi-Use in the Northern-Adriatic coastal waters by combining existing and innovative touristic services with other traditional economic sectors and assets on the area. Drivers, added values, barriers, and impacts of Multi-Use have been identified integrating desk analysis and stakeholders perception. The results show the existence of a good potential for Multi-Use development and Blue-Growth in the area, still limited by barriers, particularly in the field of legislation, administrative processes and stakeholders capacity. Needed actions at local and regional (sub-national) level are highlighted in order to exploit this potential.