Peri-urban floodplains located in upstream reaches of urban areas play a key role in the resilien... more Peri-urban floodplains located in upstream reaches of urban areas play a key role in the resilience of social-ecological systems. The need to adapt to increasing flood risks by protecting these natural assets represents a huge challenge for many cities facing rapid expansion and limited financial resources for the mitigation of environmental impacts. To understand how better governance and management can be put in place, there is a need to map the key players shaping and/or being impacted by land-use change processes and assess the barriers keeping them from playing a more constructive role in the collaborative governance of cities, the natural resources which sustain them, and the environmental risks that pose a threat. A conceptualization of power regarding natural resource governance is presented and its implications for the relationships between actors and the many scales of decision making is discussed. Drawing on existing literature, we develop a heuristic framework for analyzing policy dimensions of land-use change processes, and reflect on the possible ways for key stakeholders to become over time more committed to and involved in a collaborative approach to the development of land use policies for urban flood prevention. We apply this framework to the Brazilian city of Paraty, a case study through which the recurring problem of flooding exposes the deepening tensions between conservation and development. Empirical results demonstrate the need to acknowledge the politicization of floodplain change and the importance of trying to bridge the gap between sectors and actors with conflicting interest in urban environmental management.
The intricacy of global agri-food business today is, at once, product and also co-producer of the... more The intricacy of global agri-food business today is, at once, product and also co-producer of the hegemonic modernisation of capitalism according to the discourse and the strategies of neoliberalism. The expansion of neoliberal agribusiness, situated in the wider context of the politico-ecological economy of contemporary capitalism, is considered with the assistance of an original analytical framework structured around three explanatory categories: displacement (sectoral and spatial transformations), financialisation (the priority of making money over agriculture outcomes) and mystification (dissimulation of the neoliberalising trends and of associated risks and disputes). The proposed analytical framework has significant implications for research in human geography, especially within politico-economy and neoliberalism studies, to the extent that it encapsulates interdependent processes that are together responsible for the revitalisation of agribusiness and for the legitimisation of global agri-food markets. The framework is then used to highlight the historico-geographical repercussions of neoliberalised agribusiness in Brazil, which was an element of the conservative responses to the crisis of accumulation caused by the exhaustion of developmentalist policies and state-led entrepreneurialism. Brazilian agribusiness seems to thrive on a peculiar combination of tradition and modernity, as its apparent success betrays a clear attempt to temporarily placate the structural contradictions of capitalist agriculture while tensions and reactions become increasingly evident.
This study assesses the socio-cultural viability of community sustainable agriculture projects—wi... more This study assesses the socio-cultural viability of community sustainable agriculture projects—with a focus on permaculture and the use of traditional knowledge and practices as examples of this—within a First Nations community in the Pacific Northwest (USA). A permaculture community project was undertaken at the Northwest Indian Treatment Centre (Washington State) in order to determine participant understanding and perception of food sovereignty and security prior to the project initiation, changes during participation, long-term attitudes toward such projects, and potential barriers to project longevity and impact. The initial set-up of the project included an analysis of soil quality to determine whether the area would support this approach to food production. The Northwest First Nation project serves as a case study to demonstrate the benefits of permaculture and to provide an action plan that ensures the longevity of permaculture practices in relation to soil quality.
Water management dilemmas represent a unique entry point into the challenging management of metro... more Water management dilemmas represent a unique entry point into the challenging management of metropolitan areas, as in the case of Lima (Peru). A condition of water scarcity goes beyond the mere physical insufficiency of resources, but vividly contains the inadequacy of social relations responsible for the allocation, use and conservation of water. Lima’s experience demonstrates the association between investment priorities, political agendas and corruption scandals leading to selective abundances and persistent scarcities that are perpetuated in a hydrosocial territory. The production of water scarcity has been predicated upon discriminatory practices associated with the reinforcement of uneven development and environmental injustices.
Conflitos sociopolíticos, recursos hídricos e programa um milhão de cisternas na região semiárida... more Conflitos sociopolíticos, recursos hídricos e programa um milhão de cisternas na região semiárida da Paraíba; Our main goal in this article is to analyze sociologically the implementation of the cisterns boards technologies in the semiarid region of Paraiba, focusing on the Program 1 Million Cisterns (P1MC), discussing the extent to which it contributed to the achievement of water sustainability for rural communities rural. Our empirical object was the city of Catolé do Rocha-Paraiba State – Brazil, where we made interviews with beneficiaries and coordinators of the analyzed program. Based our field work we arrived to the following main conclusions: a) the proposed deployment of tanks by the NGO denominated Articulação do Semiárido implies in a high economic cost for the ‘beneficiaries’; b) the program produces and reproduces the relations of political patronage, which are (re) signified; c) the P1MC is an inefficient strategy with regard to improving access and use the water in the study area, where the replacement of the water tank car industry by a universalistic policy is still some distance away from being materialized; and finally, d) the P1MC helps to strengthen the ideology of naturalization of ‘shortage’ of water in the Northeast, with its invisible social cost to program beneficiaries.
Beginning in the early 1990s, neoliberalizing reforms have significantly impacted the urban space... more Beginning in the early 1990s, neoliberalizing reforms have significantly impacted the urban space of Lima in terms of an increase in business activities and the intensification of sociospatial asymmetries. Considering the modernization of urban political economy along neoliberal lines as an important dimension of contemporary disputes, this paper treats urban neoliberalism as a lived experience shaped by multiple sociospatial interactions, politico-ecological tensions and creative reactions. For instance, uneven performance of public water services across social groups and different urban zones seems to be consistent with the nature of neoliberal urbanization, in that the persistence of inequalities represents an active mechanism for the functioning of economy, politics and society according to market-friendly priorities. In that context, the marginalized, lowincome urban periphery is the main space where promises, protests and dissatisfaction with neoliberalized public services occur, and actively contribute to the reconfiguration and contestation of the neoliberal megacity.
This thesis focuses upon understanding the process of developing water sustainability indicators ... more This thesis focuses upon understanding the process of developing water sustainability indicators and their application for the assessment of catchment management systems. The study deals with the assessment of environmental, economic and social processes related to sustainable water management. In order to develop the framework of indicators, a group of catchments was selected in Scotland (Rivers Clyde and Dee) and in Brazil (Rivers Sinos and Pardo). Drawing on international experience and in consultation with local water stakeholders, a list of critical criteria of water sustainability was initially selected. These criteria were: water quality; water quantity; system resilience; water use efficiency; user sector productivity; institutional preparedness; equitable water services; water-related well-being; and public participation. From these criteria a framework of sustainability indicators was developed through an inductive and participatory approach, which included prospective con...
The model of economic activity in Brazil has been responsible for an increasing disconnection bet... more The model of economic activity in Brazil has been responsible for an increasing disconnection between society and environment, at the same time that consolidated a deeply unjust social structure. Growing levels of water scarcity and uneven access to water resources are symptoms of that twofold contradiction of development. The industrialisation of the economy in the last century allowed for the exploitation of water resources as a subsidiary instrument for capital accumulation and political control. The ongoing economic reforms expand the commodification of water through the privatisation of public utilities. Concomitantly, institutional reforms have promoted a new epistemology of environmental management that emphasises the hydrological space as the context of representation and intervention. The main innovation is the adoption of water use charges, which assigns monetary value to water and, in consequence, merely reproduces the previous rationale of natural resources commodificati...
The implementation of the WFD requires innovative approaches to secure the satisfactory ecologica... more The implementation of the WFD requires innovative approaches to secure the satisfactory ecological status of surface and ground water bodies. Impoundments are normally responsible for significant environmental and socioeconomic change, which needs to be properly addressed. A methodology was developed for the selection of cost-effective measures to mitigate the negative impacts of impoundments, which includes a decision-making tool that helps to organise the analysis of the water system and the dialogue between regulators and dam operators. For complex impoundment schemes, the analysis may require expert judgement and, in some cases, additional fieldwork. A second methodology was developed for appraising new hydropower projects that are likely to cause deterioration of water body status, which can be authorised under Article 4.7 provided that certain conditions are met. This methodology includes a set of tests for the assessment of proposed schemes taking into account project alterna...
A key issue in water management is the equitable allocation of a catchment's water resources ... more A key issue in water management is the equitable allocation of a catchment's water resources among competing abstractors and water users, whose interests often conflict, whilst protecting the water-related environment. Recent European legislation has created an unprecedented requirement for comprehensive and proportionate regulation of water use, and water users should be able to participate in the decision-making process. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has chosen Water Resources Management Strategies (WRMS) as a mechanism for conflict resolution and promotion of environmental justice. This paper describes the findings of a research project undertaken for the Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research (SNIFFER), which developed a high-level technical process and detailed participation strategy to support the implementation of WRMS. Among other things, the WRMS process is designed to: ensure the proper protection of the environment; involve ...
Peri-urban floodplains located in upstream reaches of urban areas play a key role in the resilien... more Peri-urban floodplains located in upstream reaches of urban areas play a key role in the resilience of social-ecological systems. The need to adapt to increasing flood risks by protecting these natural assets represents a huge challenge for many cities facing rapid expansion and limited financial resources for the mitigation of environmental impacts. To understand how better governance and management can be put in place, there is a need to map the key players shaping and/or being impacted by land-use change processes and assess the barriers keeping them from playing a more constructive role in the collaborative governance of cities, the natural resources which sustain them, and the environmental risks that pose a threat. A conceptualization of power regarding natural resource governance is presented and its implications for the relationships between actors and the many scales of decision making is discussed. Drawing on existing literature, we develop a heuristic framework for analyzing policy dimensions of land-use change processes, and reflect on the possible ways for key stakeholders to become over time more committed to and involved in a collaborative approach to the development of land use policies for urban flood prevention. We apply this framework to the Brazilian city of Paraty, a case study through which the recurring problem of flooding exposes the deepening tensions between conservation and development. Empirical results demonstrate the need to acknowledge the politicization of floodplain change and the importance of trying to bridge the gap between sectors and actors with conflicting interest in urban environmental management.
The intricacy of global agri-food business today is, at once, product and also co-producer of the... more The intricacy of global agri-food business today is, at once, product and also co-producer of the hegemonic modernisation of capitalism according to the discourse and the strategies of neoliberalism. The expansion of neoliberal agribusiness, situated in the wider context of the politico-ecological economy of contemporary capitalism, is considered with the assistance of an original analytical framework structured around three explanatory categories: displacement (sectoral and spatial transformations), financialisation (the priority of making money over agriculture outcomes) and mystification (dissimulation of the neoliberalising trends and of associated risks and disputes). The proposed analytical framework has significant implications for research in human geography, especially within politico-economy and neoliberalism studies, to the extent that it encapsulates interdependent processes that are together responsible for the revitalisation of agribusiness and for the legitimisation of global agri-food markets. The framework is then used to highlight the historico-geographical repercussions of neoliberalised agribusiness in Brazil, which was an element of the conservative responses to the crisis of accumulation caused by the exhaustion of developmentalist policies and state-led entrepreneurialism. Brazilian agribusiness seems to thrive on a peculiar combination of tradition and modernity, as its apparent success betrays a clear attempt to temporarily placate the structural contradictions of capitalist agriculture while tensions and reactions become increasingly evident.
This study assesses the socio-cultural viability of community sustainable agriculture projects—wi... more This study assesses the socio-cultural viability of community sustainable agriculture projects—with a focus on permaculture and the use of traditional knowledge and practices as examples of this—within a First Nations community in the Pacific Northwest (USA). A permaculture community project was undertaken at the Northwest Indian Treatment Centre (Washington State) in order to determine participant understanding and perception of food sovereignty and security prior to the project initiation, changes during participation, long-term attitudes toward such projects, and potential barriers to project longevity and impact. The initial set-up of the project included an analysis of soil quality to determine whether the area would support this approach to food production. The Northwest First Nation project serves as a case study to demonstrate the benefits of permaculture and to provide an action plan that ensures the longevity of permaculture practices in relation to soil quality.
Water management dilemmas represent a unique entry point into the challenging management of metro... more Water management dilemmas represent a unique entry point into the challenging management of metropolitan areas, as in the case of Lima (Peru). A condition of water scarcity goes beyond the mere physical insufficiency of resources, but vividly contains the inadequacy of social relations responsible for the allocation, use and conservation of water. Lima’s experience demonstrates the association between investment priorities, political agendas and corruption scandals leading to selective abundances and persistent scarcities that are perpetuated in a hydrosocial territory. The production of water scarcity has been predicated upon discriminatory practices associated with the reinforcement of uneven development and environmental injustices.
Conflitos sociopolíticos, recursos hídricos e programa um milhão de cisternas na região semiárida... more Conflitos sociopolíticos, recursos hídricos e programa um milhão de cisternas na região semiárida da Paraíba; Our main goal in this article is to analyze sociologically the implementation of the cisterns boards technologies in the semiarid region of Paraiba, focusing on the Program 1 Million Cisterns (P1MC), discussing the extent to which it contributed to the achievement of water sustainability for rural communities rural. Our empirical object was the city of Catolé do Rocha-Paraiba State – Brazil, where we made interviews with beneficiaries and coordinators of the analyzed program. Based our field work we arrived to the following main conclusions: a) the proposed deployment of tanks by the NGO denominated Articulação do Semiárido implies in a high economic cost for the ‘beneficiaries’; b) the program produces and reproduces the relations of political patronage, which are (re) signified; c) the P1MC is an inefficient strategy with regard to improving access and use the water in the study area, where the replacement of the water tank car industry by a universalistic policy is still some distance away from being materialized; and finally, d) the P1MC helps to strengthen the ideology of naturalization of ‘shortage’ of water in the Northeast, with its invisible social cost to program beneficiaries.
Beginning in the early 1990s, neoliberalizing reforms have significantly impacted the urban space... more Beginning in the early 1990s, neoliberalizing reforms have significantly impacted the urban space of Lima in terms of an increase in business activities and the intensification of sociospatial asymmetries. Considering the modernization of urban political economy along neoliberal lines as an important dimension of contemporary disputes, this paper treats urban neoliberalism as a lived experience shaped by multiple sociospatial interactions, politico-ecological tensions and creative reactions. For instance, uneven performance of public water services across social groups and different urban zones seems to be consistent with the nature of neoliberal urbanization, in that the persistence of inequalities represents an active mechanism for the functioning of economy, politics and society according to market-friendly priorities. In that context, the marginalized, lowincome urban periphery is the main space where promises, protests and dissatisfaction with neoliberalized public services occur, and actively contribute to the reconfiguration and contestation of the neoliberal megacity.
This thesis focuses upon understanding the process of developing water sustainability indicators ... more This thesis focuses upon understanding the process of developing water sustainability indicators and their application for the assessment of catchment management systems. The study deals with the assessment of environmental, economic and social processes related to sustainable water management. In order to develop the framework of indicators, a group of catchments was selected in Scotland (Rivers Clyde and Dee) and in Brazil (Rivers Sinos and Pardo). Drawing on international experience and in consultation with local water stakeholders, a list of critical criteria of water sustainability was initially selected. These criteria were: water quality; water quantity; system resilience; water use efficiency; user sector productivity; institutional preparedness; equitable water services; water-related well-being; and public participation. From these criteria a framework of sustainability indicators was developed through an inductive and participatory approach, which included prospective con...
The model of economic activity in Brazil has been responsible for an increasing disconnection bet... more The model of economic activity in Brazil has been responsible for an increasing disconnection between society and environment, at the same time that consolidated a deeply unjust social structure. Growing levels of water scarcity and uneven access to water resources are symptoms of that twofold contradiction of development. The industrialisation of the economy in the last century allowed for the exploitation of water resources as a subsidiary instrument for capital accumulation and political control. The ongoing economic reforms expand the commodification of water through the privatisation of public utilities. Concomitantly, institutional reforms have promoted a new epistemology of environmental management that emphasises the hydrological space as the context of representation and intervention. The main innovation is the adoption of water use charges, which assigns monetary value to water and, in consequence, merely reproduces the previous rationale of natural resources commodificati...
The implementation of the WFD requires innovative approaches to secure the satisfactory ecologica... more The implementation of the WFD requires innovative approaches to secure the satisfactory ecological status of surface and ground water bodies. Impoundments are normally responsible for significant environmental and socioeconomic change, which needs to be properly addressed. A methodology was developed for the selection of cost-effective measures to mitigate the negative impacts of impoundments, which includes a decision-making tool that helps to organise the analysis of the water system and the dialogue between regulators and dam operators. For complex impoundment schemes, the analysis may require expert judgement and, in some cases, additional fieldwork. A second methodology was developed for appraising new hydropower projects that are likely to cause deterioration of water body status, which can be authorised under Article 4.7 provided that certain conditions are met. This methodology includes a set of tests for the assessment of proposed schemes taking into account project alterna...
A key issue in water management is the equitable allocation of a catchment's water resources ... more A key issue in water management is the equitable allocation of a catchment's water resources among competing abstractors and water users, whose interests often conflict, whilst protecting the water-related environment. Recent European legislation has created an unprecedented requirement for comprehensive and proportionate regulation of water use, and water users should be able to participate in the decision-making process. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has chosen Water Resources Management Strategies (WRMS) as a mechanism for conflict resolution and promotion of environmental justice. This paper describes the findings of a research project undertaken for the Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research (SNIFFER), which developed a high-level technical process and detailed participation strategy to support the implementation of WRMS. Among other things, the WRMS process is designed to: ensure the proper protection of the environment; involve ...
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A permaculture community project was undertaken at the Northwest Indian Treatment Centre (Washington State) in order to determine participant understanding and perception of food sovereignty and security prior to the project initiation, changes during participation, long-term attitudes toward such projects, and potential barriers to project longevity and impact. The initial set-up of the project included an analysis of soil quality to determine whether the area would support this approach to food production. The Northwest First Nation project serves as a case study
to demonstrate the benefits of permaculture and to provide an action plan that ensures the longevity of permaculture practices in relation to soil quality.
Our main goal in this article is to analyze sociologically the implementation of the cisterns boards technologies in the semiarid region of Paraiba, focusing on the Program 1 Million Cisterns (P1MC), discussing the extent to which it contributed to the achievement of water sustainability for rural communities rural. Our empirical object was the city of Catolé do Rocha-Paraiba State – Brazil, where we made interviews with beneficiaries and coordinators of the analyzed program. Based our field work we arrived to the following main conclusions: a) the proposed deployment of tanks by the NGO denominated Articulação do Semiárido implies in a high economic cost for the ‘beneficiaries’; b) the program produces and reproduces the relations of political patronage, which are (re) signified; c) the P1MC is an inefficient strategy with regard to improving access and use the water in the study area, where the replacement of the water tank car industry by a universalistic policy is still some distance away from being materialized; and finally, d) the P1MC helps to strengthen the ideology of naturalization of ‘shortage’ of water in the Northeast, with its invisible social cost to program beneficiaries.
A permaculture community project was undertaken at the Northwest Indian Treatment Centre (Washington State) in order to determine participant understanding and perception of food sovereignty and security prior to the project initiation, changes during participation, long-term attitudes toward such projects, and potential barriers to project longevity and impact. The initial set-up of the project included an analysis of soil quality to determine whether the area would support this approach to food production. The Northwest First Nation project serves as a case study
to demonstrate the benefits of permaculture and to provide an action plan that ensures the longevity of permaculture practices in relation to soil quality.
Our main goal in this article is to analyze sociologically the implementation of the cisterns boards technologies in the semiarid region of Paraiba, focusing on the Program 1 Million Cisterns (P1MC), discussing the extent to which it contributed to the achievement of water sustainability for rural communities rural. Our empirical object was the city of Catolé do Rocha-Paraiba State – Brazil, where we made interviews with beneficiaries and coordinators of the analyzed program. Based our field work we arrived to the following main conclusions: a) the proposed deployment of tanks by the NGO denominated Articulação do Semiárido implies in a high economic cost for the ‘beneficiaries’; b) the program produces and reproduces the relations of political patronage, which are (re) signified; c) the P1MC is an inefficient strategy with regard to improving access and use the water in the study area, where the replacement of the water tank car industry by a universalistic policy is still some distance away from being materialized; and finally, d) the P1MC helps to strengthen the ideology of naturalization of ‘shortage’ of water in the Northeast, with its invisible social cost to program beneficiaries.