The regulation of Strategic Environmental Assessment in Brazil

The practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been expanding worldwide, aiming to include environmental issues within strategic planning. However, there is no precise regulation of SEA application in Brazil, and this practice is not systematic. In this context, this paper aimed to evaluate proposals for regulating SEA in Brazil regarding the elements of a SEA system. Documented proposals were identified through literature reviews, and the identified 14 documents’ content was analysed according to best practice criteria. Gaps were identified in all proposals, and none of the proposals met all the criteria applied in this research. The definition of objectives and SEA field of application was the criteria best reached (present in more than 70% of the documents). However, most of the proposals were limited only to these points, missing other essential elements of a SEA system. These results indicate a low institutional maturity concerning SEA in Brazil.The practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been expanding worldwide, aiming to include environmental issues within strategic planning. However, there is no precise regulation of SEA application in Brazil, and this practice is not systematic. In this context, this paper aimed to evaluate proposals for regulating SEA in Brazil regarding the elements of a SEA system. Documented proposals were identified through literature reviews, and the identified 14 documents’ content was analysed according to best practice criteria. Gaps were identified in all proposals, and none of the proposals met all the criteria applied in this research. The definition of objectives and SEA field of application was the criteria best reached (present in more than 70% of the documents). However, most of the proposals were limited only to these points, missing other essential elements of a SEA system. These results indicate a low institutional maturity concerning SEA in Brazil.The practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been expanding worldwide, aiming to include environmental issues within strategic planning. However, there is no precise regulation of SEA application in Brazil, and this practice is not systematic. In this context, this paper aimed to evaluate proposals for regulating SEA in Brazil regarding the elements of a SEA system. Documented proposals were identified through literature reviews, and the identified 14 documents’ content was analysed according to best practice criteria. Gaps were identified in all proposals, and none of the proposals met all the criteria applied in this research. The definition of objectives and SEA field of application was the criteria best reached (present in more than 70% of the documents). However, most of the proposals were limited only to these points, missing other essential elements of a SEA system. These results indicate a low institutional maturity concerning SEA in Brazil.The practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been expanding worldwide, aiming to include environmental issues within strategic planning. However, there is no precise regulation of SEA application in Brazil, and this practice is not systematic. In this context, this paper aimed to evaluate proposals for regulating SEA in Brazil regarding the elements of a SEA system. Documented proposals were identified through literature reviews, and the identified 14 documents’ content was analysed according to best practice criteria. Gaps were identified in all proposals, and none of the proposals met all the criteria applied in this research. The definition of objectives and SEA field of application was the criteria best reached (present in more than 70% of the documents). However, most of the proposals were limited only to these points, missing other essential elements of a SEA system. These results indicate a low institutional maturity concerning SEA in Brazil

Modifications of environmental licensing in Minas Gerais: advance or regression?

Apesar de a Avaliação de Impactos Ambientais (AIA) e o Licenciamento Ambiental (LA) serem importantes instrumentos de gestão ambiental, eles ainda recebem críticas pela falta de clareza sobre seus benefícios. Neste contexto, a simplificação e a eficiência destes instrumentos têm sido preocupações recorrentes. No Brasil, projetos de lei têm tramitado no cenário nacional e tem havido nos estados iniciativas de simplificação. Este é o caso de Minas Gerais (MG), onde diversas mudanças nas normas legais que regem o sistema de LA e AIA foram feitas entre 2016 e 2018. Assim, este artigo objetivou analisar tais mudanças, possibilitando inferir sobre potenciais benefícios ou prejuízos delas decorrentes para o cumprimento dos objetivos dos instrumentos. Para isso, realizou-se uma análise documental das normas legais, atuais e antigas, que tratam do sistema de AIA e LA em MG, levantando as modificações e avaliando-as frente às boas práticas da AIA, presentes na literatura. As modificações aconteceram em praticamente todas as etapas do processo, sendo que algumas representam importantes avanços (uso de recursos digitais e online, inclusão de critérios locacionais na triagem, alteração de parâmetros para definição do porte das atividades e criação de um núcleo de fiscalização e monitoramento), enquanto outras precisam ser observadas com cautela (dispensa da renovação da Licença de Operação para algumas atividades, diminuição da participação do COPAM na tomada de decisão e o significativo aumento das situações que passam a ficar sujeitas apenas ao licenciamento ambiental simplificado). Espera-se que as discussões apresentadas possam contribuir para o debate quanto às modificações do LA, de forma que as ações e mudanças legais propostas estejam em conformidade com os objetivos da AIA e do LA e que a proteção ambiental seja garantida.Despite the importance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Licensing (EL) as environmental management instruments, they had been criticized for lack of clarity about their benefits. In this context, the simplification and efficiency of these instruments are recurrently topics of interest. In Brazil, federal law proposals are under discussion and there have been initiatives of streamlining these instruments in various states. That is the case of the state of Minas Gerais, where changes in the legal norms that regulate EIA and EL were made between 2016 and 2018. In this paper those changes were analyzed, aiming to identify potential benefits and harms when trying to accomplish EIA and EL objectives. Modifications in legal norms were identified based on documental analysis of current and former legal norms that regulate EIA and EL in Minas Gerais, which were latter evaluated against EIA best practices presented in literature. It was identified that modifications occurred virtually in every phase of EL and EIA processes. Some of them represent important improvements (use of digital and online resources, inclusion of locational criteria in screening, modification of parameters to define dimension of activities and creation of a monitoring and inspection center), while others need to be observed more carefully (dismissal of the Operation License renew for some activities, reduction on the participation of COPAM in decision making, and significant increase of cases that are subject only of simplified environmental license). We hope that the discussion presented can contribute to the debate regarding LA modifications, so that proposed actions and law alterations are in line with EIA and EL objectives and environmental protection can be guaranteed

The transport planning context in Brazil: gaps in considering environmental issues and implications for Strategic Environmental Assessment

A Avaliação Ambiental Estratégica (AAE) tem sido aplicada como um instrumento de suporte para a inserção de questões ambientais em decisões estratégicas em todo o mundo. A forma e abordagem exatas da avaliação, porém, são objeto de debate na literatura, destacando-se a necessidade de serem observadas as características do contexto em que a AAE será aplicada. É nesse sentido que a presente pesquisa se propôs a discutir a AAE para o Brasil a partir das características do contexto de planejamento, tendo como foco o setor de transportes nos âmbitos federal, estado de São Paulo e município de São Paulo. Os principais objetivos da pesquisa foram: identificar as lacunas e os fatores que contribuem e que limitam a consideração de questões ambientais no planejamento, apresentando recomendações para a definição e aplicação da AAE no contexto do planejamento de transportes no país. Os resultados desta análise, levando-se em conta os quadros legal/normativo, institucional e aplicado, apontam que a necessidade de considerar as questões ambientais está bem estabelecida nas orientações e diretrizes para o setor. Na prática, no entanto, a temática ambiental é considerada apenas como um tema secundário e de maneira não sistemática e não consistente ao longo de todo o processo de planejamento e decisão, sendo limitada por barreiras relacionadas à natureza dos processos de planejamento, ausência de mecanismos legais e institucionais, dificuldades relacionadas à estrutura institucional e à predominância de interesses políticos e econômicos. Neste contexto, para que a AAE tenha real possibilidade de influenciar o planejamento e tomada de decisão no curto e no longo prazo, entende-se que ela deva ser suportada por procedimentos bem estabelecidos e pela intensiva participação da sociedade e das instituições envolvidas, contribuindo para o aumento da transparência dos processos de planejamento, de tal modo que possa cumprir com o seu papel de promover a temática ambiental na tomada de decisão, com foco na sustentabilidade ambiental.Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been suggested and applied worldwide as an instrument to support the consideration of environmental issues into strategic decisions. Its exact form and approach, though, has been discussed by the literature, highlighting the necessity to adapt SEA to the context in which it will be applied. In this sense, this research aims to discuss the application of SEA in Brazil based on the characteristics of the planning context, focusing on the transport sector at the federal level, state level (state of São Paulo) and municipal level (city of São Paulo). The main purposes of this research are to identify the gaps, constraining factors and supporting factors in consideration environmental issues within policy, plan and programme making and, based on these characteristics, present recommendation for defining and applying SEA. The planning context was analysed from the legal, institutional and practical planning frameworks. It was found that the need to consider environmental and social issues is well established in sectoral guidelines. However, in practice these issues are considered only to a small extent and, in a non-systematic way and are not consistent throughout the planning and decision-making processes. Moreover, their consideration is limited by barriers related to the nature of planning processes, the absence of legal and institutional mechanisms, difficulties related to institutional structure and the predominance of political and economic interests. In this context, if SEA is expected to have a real influence on planning and decision-making over the short and long terms, we suggested that SEA should be based on well stablished proceedings and in intensive social and institutional participation. Furthermore, it should aim at increasing the transparency of planning processes, playing an advocative role and focusing on environmental sustainability

Effectiveness analysis of strategic environmental assessment as an environmental policy instrument in Brazil

A Avaliação Ambiental Estratégica (AAE) é um instrumento que tem como objetivo dar suporte à tomada de decisão, informando as possíveis consequências para o meio ambiente derivadas de ações estratégicas (Políticas, Planos e Programas) e, desta forma, possibilita a inserção de questões ambientais nos níveis estratégicos do planejamento. A efetividade da AAE tem sido foco de estudos recentes, contribuindo para o seu aprimoramento. No Brasil, apesar de iniciativas institucionais para a formalização da AAE, esse instrumento não é regulamentado, o que torna sua prática sujeita a grande variabilidade. A fim de suprir a lacuna de informações quanto aos procedimentos e à influência dessas avaliações na tomada de decisão, este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a efetividade da prática brasileira do instrumento. Para isso, analisou-se a efetividade processual de 26 AAEs (72% do total de AAEs identificadas neste trabalho, realizadas entre 1997 e 2012) e a efetividade substantiva de três delas, valendo-se de procedimentos qualitativos de pesquisa. Os resultados mostram que, de modo geral, a prática brasileira não é consistente em termos de procedimentos, havendo grande variação entre as etapas desenvolvidas em cada caso, o que parece se relacionar com os motivadores e/ou elaboradores da avaliação. Além disso, a AAE não tem influenciado a tomada de decisão principal, sendo mais voltada para a mitigação do objeto avaliado. No entanto, notam-se alguns efeitos positivos indiretos, em especial com relação à organização e disponibilização de informações e a promoção da comunicação entre instituições e setores. Evidencia-se, então a necessidade de se refletir sobre o uso da AAE no contexto brasileiro, sobretudo discutindo-se objetivos e diretrizes procedimentais para o instrumento, de modo a evitar a variabilidade e inadequações observadas na pesquisa, bem como buscar a sua incorporação em momentos mais adequados ao timing do planejamento, para que a AAE seja, de fato, considerada na decisão.The purpose of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is to support decision-making, advising possible consequences of strategic actions (Politics, Plans and Programmes), thus ensuring that environmental issues are taken into account as soon as possible in strategic planning. Recently, SEA effectiveness is being studied intending to improve its practice. In Brazil, regardless some institutional initiatives to formalize the SEA, it is not legally required and there is no national guidelines, which makes the SEA practice. In order to fill in the gap of information about the proceedings and the influence of these SEA practices in decision making, the purpose of this study was to analyse the effectiveness of Brazilian SEA, reviewing the procedural effectiveness for 26 SEAs (72% of all the identified Brazilian SEA done between 1997 and 2012) and the substantive effectiveness for three cases. The results shown that, generally, Brazilian practice is not procedurally consistent, being highly dependent on the stakeholders involved. Besides, SEA does not influence the main decisionmaking and is focused in mitigation actions. Nevertheless, the SEA achieved some positive effects, e.g. publishing important information about planning process, and improving the communication between institutions and sectors. These findings suggest that it is necessary to discuss the SEA use in Brazilian context, especially considering and defining its goals and proceedings to avoid the variability and inadequacies observed, as well as enhancing its use in strategic levels and at more appropriate timing, intending to really contribute to decision process

Teaching Environmental Impact Assessment in Brazil: is it just a ‘Make-believe’ approach?

Abstract Teaching Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is fundamental for EIA effective practice. Nevertheless, this topic has not been addressed sufficiently, yet. In this context, this paper analyzes EIA teaching in Brazil based on the curriculum of EIA courses within Environmental Engineering programs, considering best practice principles. In addition, we proposed an analytical framework that categorizes nine EIA teaching profiles. The results show that EIA teaching is present in all the programs assessed. However, the prevailing teaching profiles reveal a limited perspective of EIA, not addressing the minimum necessary for understanding EIA as an environmental policy instrument. The weaknesses highlighted indicate that EIA teaching may be negatively influencing EIA practice and vice versa, creating a vicious cycle. Thus, this highlights the urgency for improving EIA teaching in Brazil, which should contribute to Brazilian EIA practice