The impact of decentralization policies: the environmental performance applied to municipalities of the Amazon

The historical environmental problems in the Amazon urge greater governance and transparency at the municipal level. The decentralizing of municipal environmental management (MEM) is an ongoing process in the Brazilian Amazonbut a monitoring mechanism is missing. We used an index (iMEM) derived by factorial analysis to rank the environmental management performance of 143 municipalities in Pará state at the beginning of the decentralizing process (2009) and six years after that (2015). Multiple regression analysis indicated that iMEM was positively affected by factors such as population, communication and protected areas in the municipalities and negatively affected by rural credit, GDP and property registration program. Decentralizing measures seem to be more politically than environmentally effective since only 21.7% of 143 municipalities were classified as having good environmental management in 2015. Pará’s poorly performing municipalities in both periods illustrate regions where unsustainable and misguided national policies were fostered in the 70s. The monitoring of the decentralization progress and synergic policies is crucial for the effectiveness of the policy in the Amazon. 

Municipal environmental management and regional conservation in eastern Amazon: perceived performance by public agents in the Pará state, Brazil

Public agents play a key role in municipal environmental management (MEM) under decentralised regimes. This study aimed to evaluate the MEM through the combined perception of municipal agents and the municipal performance previously calculated by secondary data in Pará, Brazil. A questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale was applied to environmental agents. The respondents (n = 75) from 53 municipalities were divided into poorly performing and well-performing municipalities. The perception of agents from poorly performing municipalities was more optimistic than shown by empirical data. Agents from well-performing municipalities prioritised “economic issues” as significant threats to management over the “institutional capacity” chosen by the other group, indicating a broader view of the reality. As the perception over land-use practices was vital to differentiate the agents from different groups, we concluded for the use of mixed monitoring methods and feedback information for agents for a better MEM, focusing on five variables (Rural environmental register – CAR, in Portuguese acronym; degraded area; deforested area; rural credit; and abandoned pasture) that differentiated the municipalities.Public agents play a key role in municipal environmental management (MEM) under decentralised regimes. This study aimed to evaluate the MEM through the combined perception of municipal agents and the municipal performance previously calculated by secondary data in Pará, Brazil. A questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale was applied to environmental agents. The respondents (n = 75) from 53 municipalities were divided into poorly performing and well-performing municipalities. The perception of agents from poorly performing municipalities was more optimistic than shown by empirical data. Agents from well-performing municipalities prioritised “economic issues” as significant threats to management over the “institutional capacity” chosen by the other group, indicating a broader view of the reality. As the perception over land-use practices was vital to differentiate the agents from different groups, we concluded for the use of mixed monitoring methods and feedback information for agents for a better MEM, focusing on five variables (Rural environmental register – CAR, in Portuguese acronym; degraded area; deforested area; rural credit; and abandoned pasture) that differentiated the municipalities.Public agents play a key role in municipal environmental management (MEM) under decentralised regimes. This study aimed to evaluate the MEM through the combined perception of municipal agents and the municipal performance previously calculated by secondary data in Pará, Brazil. A questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale was applied to environmental agents. The respondents (n = 75) from 53 municipalities were divided into poorly performing and well-performing municipalities. The perception of agents from poorly performing municipalities was more optimistic than shown by empirical data. Agents from well-performing municipalities prioritised “economic issues” as significant threats to management over the “institutional capacity” chosen by the other group, indicating a broader view of the reality. As the perception over land-use practices was vital to differentiate the agents from different groups, we concluded for the use of mixed monitoring methods and feedback information for agents for a better MEM, focusing on five variables (Rural environmental register – CAR, in Portuguese acronym; degraded area; deforested area; rural credit; and abandoned pasture) that differentiated the municipalities.Public agents play a key role in municipal environmental management (MEM) under decentralised regimes. This study aimed to evaluate the MEM through the combined perception of municipal agents and the municipal performance previously calculated by secondary data in Pará, Brazil. A questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale was applied to environmental agents. The respondents (n = 75) from 53 municipalities were divided into poorly performing and well-performing municipalities. The perception of agents from poorly performing municipalities was more optimistic than shown by empirical data. Agents from well-performing municipalities prioritised “economic issues” as significant threats to management over the “institutional capacity” chosen by the other group, indicating a broader view of the reality. As the perception over land-use practices was vital to differentiate the agents from different groups, we concluded for the use of mixed monitoring methods and feedback information for agents for a better MEM, focusing on five variables (Rural environmental register – CAR, in Portuguese acronym; degraded area; deforested area; rural credit; and abandoned pasture) that differentiated the municipalities

Mudança Técnica na Indústria Madeireira na Amazônia: uma análise a partir da economia evolucionária

Este artigo investiga a existência de um lock-in, ou aprisionamento, de baixa tecnologia e rentabilidade associado a elevados impactos ambientais e a alta propensão entre os produtores à ilegalidade na exploração madeireira na Amazônia Brasileira. O conceito de lock-in é trabalhado a partir do arcabouço da Economia Evolucionária. É analisada então a evolução do ambiente norteador das decisões do setor, associado à caracterização técnica das serrarias, e à compreensão do perfil da demanda setorial, das relações institucionais e intersetoriais, corroborando para que a hipótese do lock-in não seja descartada. São analisadas as taxas de ilegalidade, com valores que chegam a 80% nas análises mais pessimistas, são observadas suas causas e a constatação da predominância da exploração convencional de madeira. Discute-se finalmente a introdução do manejo florestal sustentável na região, especialmente através dos benefícios e limites da exploração de impacto reduzido em um contexto caracterizado pelo baixo enforcement para o setor na região

Sistema Regional de Inovação: uma análise sobre os estados do Pará e do Amazonas

A literatura direciona a inovação como resultado de ambiente favorável capaz de mobilizar diferentes agentes com contribuições multidisciplinares que fortaleçam uma cultura inovadora nas firmas locais. O presente artigo aborda a literatura existente sobre Sistemas de Inovação e os seus desdobramentos com o objetivo de entender a relação entre o ambiente interno das firmas e o seu relacionamento com outras organizações nos estados do Amazonas e Pará. Foram extraídos dados da PINTEC, com o intuito de estudar as parcerias locais, rotinas organizacionais, padrões diferenciados de esforços tecnológicos e obstáculo reconhecidos por essas empresas. As pesquisas são dos anos de 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011 e 2014. Como resultado observou-se que há melhora no desempenho das firmas inovadoras, ainda que o ambiente institucional apresente fragilidades e pouca interação nas relações entre Universidade-Governo-Indústria

ANÁLISE DO DESENVOLVIMENTO FAMILIAR NO BRASIL DE 2012 A 2019: UMA VISÃO A PARTIR DO ÍNDICE DE DESENVOLVIMENTO FAMILIAR

Estudos sobre desenvolvimento socioeconômico ganham força a cada ano, porém o Brasil carece de um indicador que consiga mensurar sua realidade mais precisamente, então é necessário investigar um objeto de pesquisa menor e mais condizente, ou seja, as famílias brasileiras. Portanto, o presente artigo tem em seu objetivo realizar a construção do Índice de Desenvolvimento Familiar (IDF), proposto por Barros (2003), através da base de dados da PNAD, no período de 2012 a 2019, o IDF foi escolhido por melhor se adaptar com a realidade familiar do país, sendo assim, a análise irá verificar e revelar o grau de desenvolvimento das famílias, com o intuito de identificar as regiões focos de carência, além de uma análise mais aprofundada no estado do Pará. Os resultados expostos demostram que as famílias brasileiras possuem nível médio de desenvolvimento socioeconômico, os piores resultados tanto para pobreza quanto para o IDF foram nas regiões Norte e Nordeste, enquanto os melhores foram na região Sul e Sudeste. Portanto, o IDF se mostrou mais condizente com a realidade familiar brasileira, apresentando, um valor de desenvolvimento palpável com a realidade

Negative incentives and sustainability in the amazonian logging industry

<div><p>Abstract: This paper investigates the existence of lock-in of low technology and high environmental impact on Brazilian Amazon logging industry. The research employed evolutionary economics as a theoretical basis, especially the concept of technological trajectories. The duality of decisions involving logging - conventional logging (CL) versus reduced-impact logging (RIL) - was studied. An agent-based simulation model - in which decision-making under bounded rationality is based on a genetic algorithm - was implemented in Java programming language. Results demonstrate the existence of lock-in, producers aversion to risks, greater operational efficiency of sustainable logging, and benefits derived from a policy of environmental bonuses, both in economic and ecological terms.</p></div