The impact of Protected Areas on the Wellbeing of Pantaneiro Riverine Communities // O Impacto das Áreas Protegidas Bem-estar das Comunidades Ribeirinhas Pantaneiras

Resumo A criação de áreas protegidas é um dos principais pilares de ações focadas na conservação da natureza. Estudos buscando uma compreensão mais abrangente da relação entre “bem-estar humano” e áreas protegidas são chave para um equilíbrio socioambiental dessas ações. O presente trabalho buscou avaliar, através de entrevistas baseadas nos conceitos de liberdade, segurança, saúde e relações sociais, o impacto da criação de áreas protegidas no Pantanal em duas comunidades ribeirinhas da região. Mostramos que ambas as comunidades sofreram impactos negativos no seu bem-estar. No entanto, as experiências sobre o impacto são expressas de forma diversa, compatível com o histórico, tipo de gestão e categoria de cada área protegida. Também mostramos falas positivas sobre as áreas protegidas, referentes à questão social, econômica e ambiental. Mecanismos mais abrangentes de avaliação da relação homem/ natureza permitem entendermos os principais gargalos e potencialidades de uma conservação com efetiva participação das comunidades tradicionais

The impact of Protected Areas on the Well-being of Pantaneiro Riverine Communities

The set aside of protected areas is one of the pillars of initiatives focused on nature conservation. Studies seeking a broader understanding of the relation between human well-being and protected areas are key to support a social-ecological balance these initiatives. In this paper, we sought to understand, through interviewers structured around the concepts of freedom, security, heath, and social relations, the extent to which protected areas in the Pantanal have impacted the lives of two riverine communities in the region. We show that both communities were negatively impacted in all axes of well-being evaluated. However, each group experienced the impacts differently, depending on the process of creation, category and management strategy of each protected area. We also show that people see economic, social, and ecological positive aspects of the protected areas. Broader understanding about well-being, as applied in this study, allow us to better uncover the relation between human / nature and the potential for effective participation of traditional communities

Extreme citizen science: Lessons learned from initiatives around the globe

The participation of communities living in high conservation value areas is increasingly valued in conservation science and practice, potentially producing multiple positive impacts on both biodiversity and local people. Here, we discuss important steps for implementing a successful extreme citizen science project, based on four case studies from conservation projects with Pantaneiro fishers living in Brazilian Pantanal wetland, Baka hunter-gatherers and Fang farmers in lowland wet forest in Cameroon, Maasai pastoralists in Kenya, and Ju|'hoansi rangers living in the semiarid deserts of Namibia. We highlight the need for a high level of trust between the target communities and project developers, communities' right to choose the data they will be collecting, and researchers' openness to include new tools that were not initially planned. By following these steps, conservation scientists can effectively create bottom-up collaborations with those living on the frontlines of conservation through community-led extreme citizen science

Achieving conservation through cattle ranching: The case of the Brazilian Pantanal

Cattle ranching in the ~140,000 km2 Brazilian Pantanal is considered one of the most important cases of sustainable use of natural resources in the global south. The region has had a successful history of balancing environmental protection with the production of >3.8 million cattle. However, global change, infrastructure projects, and deforestation, threaten the sustainable use of the Pantanal. Here, using Ostrom's design principles as a framework, we interviewed 49 local stakeholders and conducted a review of secondary information aiming to evaluate the sustainability of cattle ranching practices across the region and the threats to it. We show that well-defined property boundaries, congruence between appropriation and provision rules through low-intensity cattle ranching, and co-management of resources, are all key components for achieving sustainability in the Pantanal. However, we documented shortcomings in satisfying critical aspects of Orstrom's design principles. Specifically, we argue that the Pantanal needs better biodiversity and behavior monitoring, the creation of platforms or mechanisms to solve local conflicts around resource access and use, recognition by governments and international bodies of the local efforts to promote local sustainability, and the creation of networks effectively connecting existing sustainability initiatives

Resilience of social-ecological systems: drastic seasonal change is associated with economic but not social flexibility among fishers in the Brazilian Pantanal

In attempting to predict the impact of major ecological or climatic change on livelihoods, insights can be gained by looking at communities who experience extreme seasonal or annual variation. Here, we compare the ecology, economy, and social network of a community of traditional fishers in the Brazilian Pantanal between the dry season and the flood season in which their wetland ecosystem is transformed. Using data derived from satellite imaging we show that during the flood season of 2019 the total amount of open water accessible to fishers more than doubled and led to drastic qualitative changes. We show that although fishers adapted to this extreme seasonality by changing where, how, and what they fish between seasons, the structure of the social network in our study community did not differ. We argue that strong networks are especially important in social-ecological systems with extreme seasonal changes. More generally, we suggest that case studies of seasonal adaptation such as ours can contribute to a broader understanding of how communities may be able to successfully adapt to novel social-ecological changes

Impacto do estresse na saúde de cortadores de cana

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the impact of stress on sugar cane cutters and the prevalence of physical and psychological symptoms before and after harvest. METHODS We studied 114 sugarcane cutters and 109 urban workers in the pre-harvest and 102 sugar cane cutters and 81 urban workers in the post-harvest period in the city of Mendonça, SP, Southeastern Brazil, in 2009. Data analysis was based on the frequency and percentage of the assessed symptoms of stress, using the Lipp-ISSL test (Symptoms of Stress for Adults). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The Fisher Test was used to compare the variable of stress between pre- and post-harvest within the sugar cane cutter and urban worker groups. P values below 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS Stress in sugar cane cutters increased after harvesting (34.2% pre-harvest and 46.1% post-harvest); in urban workers, stress decreased from 44.0% pre-harvest to 42.0% post-harvest. There was prevalence of the phase of resistance to stress for both groups with signs more apparent from the near-exhaustion and exhaustion phases for sugar cane cutters. After harvest, there was a tendency for the number of sugar cane cutters with symptoms of near-exhaustion (6.4%) and exhaustion (10.6%) to increase. After harvest there was a trend for the number of sugar cane cutters with physical symptoms (pre-harvest = 20.5%, post-harvest = 25.5%) and psychological symptoms (pre-harvest = 64.1%; post-harvest = 70.2%) to increase. For both groups, predominantly psychological symptoms occurred in both phases (70.2% versus 64.7%). CONCLUSIONS The work process of cutting cane can cause stress. Individual factors such as cognitive perception of the experience, self-efficacy beliefs and expectations of the employee regarding their performance can influence the understanding of the reactions in their body in face of the work.OBJETIVO Analisar os níveis de estresse e a prevalência de sintomas físicos e psíquicos em trabalhadores do corte de cana antes e depois da safra. MÉTODOS Foram estudados 114 cortadores de cana, 109 trabalhadores urbanos na pré-safra, 102 cortadores de cana e 81 trabalhadores urbanos na pós-safra, na cidade de Mendonça, SP, em 2009. A análise dos dados baseou-se na frequência e porcentagem dos avaliados com sintomas de estresse, tendo sido utilizado o Inventário de Sintomas de Estresse para Adultos de Lipp-ISSL. Os dados gerais coletados foram analisados segundo estatística descritiva. Utilizou-se o teste Exato de Fisher para comparar a variável categórica representada pelo estresse pré e pós-safra nos grupos cortadores de cana e trabalhadores urbanos. Foram considerados significativos os valores de p menor que 0,05. RESULTADOS O estresse aumentou nos cortadores de cana após a safra (34,2% na pré-safra e 46,1% na pós-safra); nos trabalhadores urbanos, o estresse diminuiu de 44,0% na pré-safra para 42,0% na pós-safra. Houve predominância da fase de resistência do estresse para ambos os grupos, com sinais mais evidentes da fase de quase-exaustão e de exaustão para os cortadores de cana. Após a safra, houve tendência a aumentar o número de cortadores de cana com sintomas de quase-exaustão (6,4%) e exaustão (10,6%), bem como aumento na proporção de cortadores de cana com sintomas físicos (de 20,5% para 25,5%) e psicológicos (de 64,1% para 70,2%). Para os dois grupos, os sintomas psicológicos foram elevados nas duas fases (70,2% e 64,7%, respectivamente). CONCLUSÕES O processo produtivo de trabalho do cortador de cana pode provocar estresse. Fatores individuais, como a percepção cognitiva da experiência, crenças de autoeficácia e expectativas do trabalhador quanto ao seu desempenho, podem influenciar o entendimento sobre as reações em seu corpo diante do trabalho

Efeitos da Expansão da Cana de Açúcar no Sudeste do Mato Grosso do Sul e Possíveis Caminhos para uma Agenda Sustentável

The Brazilian Alcohol program (Pró-Álcool) is pointed out as a sustainable development tool.However, the negative impacts produced throughout its production can minimize its benefits. Inrecent years, the area under sugar cane increased from 105 thousands hectares to more than700 thousands hectares in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Nonetheless, little is known about theimpacts faced by this region of Brazil. The goal of this project was to evaluate the sugarcaneimpacts in the Southwestern region of that state, through interviews, reports analysis and in locovisits. The better protection of Areas Legally Protected and the incensement in the number ofenterprises formally registered are within the positive effects. Related to the negative impacts,stands out conflicts related to Indigenous Lands and issues related to the public health system inthe cities analysed. The results point out the need, for the public governments create andcoordinate actions, alongside other sectors, with clear statements focused on the sustainabledevelopment.O programa do Álcool brasileiro é apontado como uma estratégia para o desenvolvimento sustentável, no entanto, seus impactos negativos podem minimizar os seus benefícios. Nos últimos dez anos, a área de cana de açúcar aumentou de 105 mil ha para mais de 700 mil ha no estado do Mato Grasso do Sul, entretanto, pouco se sabe sobre os impactos causados nesta região do Brasil. O objetivo desse trabalho foi fazer uma avaliação dos impactos da cana no sudeste deste estado por meio de entrevistas, análise de relatórios e visitas a campo. A maior proteção de Áreas Legalmente Protegidas e aumento no número de empresas formalmente cadastradas estão entre os fatores positivos encontrados. Quanto aos impactos negativos, sobressaem os conflitos com Territórios Indígenas e problemas relacionados à saúde pública nas cidades envolvidas analisadas. Os resultados apontam para a necessidade do poder público criar e coordenar ações junto aos diversos setores com diretrizes claras focadas no desenvolvimento sustentável

Assessing diverse evidence to improve conservation decision-making

Meeting the urgent need to protect and restore ecosystems requires effective decision‐making through wisely considering a range of evidence. However, weighing and assessing evidence to make complex decisions is challenging, particularly when evidence is of diverse types, subjects, and sources, and varies greatly in its quality and relevance. To tackle these challenges, we present the Balance Evidence Assessment Method (BEAM), an intuitive way to weigh and assess the evidence relating to the core assumptions underpinning the planning and implementation of conservation projects, strategies, and actions. Our method directly tackles the question of how to bring together diverse evidence whilst assessing its relevance, reliability, and strength of support for a given assumption, which can be mapped, for example to a Theory of Change. We consider how simple principles and safeguards in applying this method could help to respectfully, and equitably, include more local forms of knowledge when assessing assumptions, such as by ensuring diverse groups of individuals contribute and assess evidence. The method can be flexibly applied within existing decision‐making tools, platforms, and frameworks whenever assumptions (i.e., claims and hypotheses) are made. This method could greatly facilitate and improve the weighing of diverse evidence to make decisions in a range of situations, from local projects to global policy platforms

Emergent sustainability in open property regimes

Current theoretical models of the commons assert that common-pool resources can only be managed sustainably with clearly defined boundaries around both communities and the resources that they use. In these theoretical models, open access inevitably leads to a tragedy of the commons. However, in many open-access systems, use of common-pool resources seems to be sustainable over the long term (i.e., current resource use does not threaten use of common-pool resources for future generations). Here, we outline the conditions that support sustainable resource use in open property regimes. We use the conceptual framework of complex adaptive systems to explain how processes within and couplings between human and natural systems can lead to the emergence of efficient, equitable, and sustainable resource use. We illustrate these dynamics in eight case studies of different social–ecological systems, including mobile pastoralism, marine and freshwater fisheries, swidden agriculture, and desert foraging. Our theoretical framework identifies eight conditions that are critical for the emergence of sustainable use of common-pool resources in open property regimes. In addition, we explain how changes in boundary conditions may push open property regimes to either common property regimes or a tragedy of the commons. Our theoretical model of emergent sustainability helps us to understand the diversity and dynamics of property regimes across a wide range of social–ecological systems and explains the enigma of open access without a tragedy. We recommend that policy interventions in such self-organizing systems should focus on managing the conditions that are critical for the emergence and persistence of sustainability