Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management

Although hydropower companies and governments have promoted monetary-based Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms alone as a vector of local development for flooded municipalities, it is not possible to identify this evidence in the scientific literature. The present work investigates the quantitative influence of Financial Compensation on Human Development Indexes (HDI) in flooded municipalities over 2000–2010. The econometric analysis shows that there are no statistically significant results related to the quantities of Financial Compensation and the development variables. The findings reinforce that Financial Compensation itself could not be considered the only input to improve development processes. Management frameworks should be considered since they can provide a broader view of the affected areas, including elements such as participatory processes, adaptation management, formal and legal guidelines and stakeholder engagement. Specially in the Brazilian case, the Impact Assessment procedures and their products could provide detailed data and criteria to municipalities to manage the inflow resources.

Metropolitan areas constitute a critical arena in which to protect the environment and handle climate change efforts, both because they are at the root of the problem and they form a suitable working ground to deal with their systemic nature. Using a multi-regional input-output modelling framework, with energy-environmental extensions, this paper proposes a comparative analysis of the Sao Paulo and Lisbon metropolitan areas, distinguishing territorial, production-based and consumption-based responsibilities. This research reveals that the consideration of interregional interactions and leakages to other regions/countries, as well as the appraisal of trade-offs between socio-economic and environmental targets, are critical for climate change policy’s definition and monitoring. The results also stress the importance of tailoring policy measures to the territories and, concurrently, the need for significant changes regarding the discussion of climate change policies on a subnational scale, namely concerning policy concertation and coordination at the global, national and subnational levels.

Water resources planning is currently designed to meet emerging challenges and encompassing a more comprehensive and integrated water management. The main focus of current water resources planning is to promote good water resource conditions through the implementation of innovative water policies. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to characterize and assess the status of water resources, monitor the implementation of planned actions, disseminate information and support the decision-making process. Indicators are often regarded as appropriate tools for supporting these tasks, although their use in this context is not imperative. The present study intends to explore the stakeholder perspective on the role of indicators in the water resources planning and management processes and their strategic environmental assessment process using a Portuguese case study. To achieve this objective, semi-structured interviews with the various stakeholder groups involved were conducted. The treatment of the obtained data using content analysis shows that the interviewees consider indicators to be an essential tool for supporting water resources planning. Some participants express concerns and suggest changes to the selection models and to the communication and decision-support capacity of the sets of indicators used. All stakeholders in the process consider that improvements to the indicators to be used in future processes are possible. In light of the results, it can be concluded that there is a long way to go for indicators to be used to promote better communication with stakeholders and to support decision-making processes; simultaneously, they can form the basis for the review and development of the subsequent cycle of the planning process.

Sustainability indicators (SIs) are considered an important tool in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), but their choice and management present shortcomings and must be improved. This work aimed to develop a governance model of SI systems for SEA. The study was carried out by means of documentary research on SEA reports and interviews with leaders of Brazilian SEA working teams, through the application of Content Analysis. The resulting framework, called G-SINDS, is composed of six phases and three transverse elements. Each phase represents a stage of construction of the SI system, with methodological procedures adaptable to the specificity of each SEA process. The transverse elements are factors that affect each phase, in order to perfect them. The G-SINDS represents an innovative model, since it involves the “life cycle of the indicators”, is directed to the SEA and is based on principles and techniques of knowledge management, constituting a means of improving the execution of SEA processes.

Food commodities have been used worldwide for both human consumption and energy, amid concerns of environmental degradation and damaging effects on local food systems. Presently, strategies of rural development have encompassed the use of green resources to produce biofuels and an agenda of food security. We argue that by the strengthening of a Sectorial System of Production and Innovation involving farming activity, industrial transformation and institutional support, production for food and for energy can be balanced. Our discussion contributes to the resolution of the potential conflict between agro-energy and food production and the role of public policies in stimulating second-generation ethanol based on remaining biomass. Based on the current literature and empirical evidences, the prospects for sugarcane ethanol in Brazil are examined, bearing in mind the development of a system able to produce second-generation ethanol, as a strategy able to mitigate negative effects on food security.