Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change. Brazilian Perspectives

THIS PUBLICATION IS a compilation of essays by many authors on different conceptual issues and policies, the dynamics of change from within and the realities on the ground in Brazil. It looks at how the localization of development is taking place in this continental-sized country, and at the perceptions of Brazilians themselves as actors in the process. According to the publishers, the final product is a comprehensive look at Brazilian thinking, which challenges and modifies certain established approaches to developmental problems to suit Brazilian needs. At the same time, Latin America’s ties with Europe demand some level of adherence to the western way of doing things, development being no exception.

The book is divided into five sections, with sub-sections in each. The first section is on population and demography, and concentrates on population distribution processes and the consequences on health and environmental change. Attention is given to so-called “traditional populations” and transformations in their use of resources. The conclusion reached is that Brazil’s contribution to global environmental change is less related to size and growth than to population distribution tendencies, which localize the pressures on an ecological system.
The second section is on institutions and institution building. It focuses on the evolution of mechanisms and political instances important to Brazilian perspectives, with relevance to the issues of demography, population and environmental change. It acknowledges that not much work has been done in this area but that certain localized initiatives in a few cities have taken up the issue and are making some headway in the matter. The shortcomings of transport regulation and provision and of pollution control are examined, and recommendations made for policy evaluation and the consolidation of legal and institutional instruments.

The third section is on technological change and development. It is concerned with decoupling energy and economic growth; with the evolution of science and technology in the context of a world divided into rich and poor; and with propagating the ideas of sustainable and less expensive alternates for resources in poor countries. The fourth section, on behavioural change, is examined in three different contexts. In the first, the attitudes, values and opinions of the interest groups, with relevance to their overall environment, are discussed. Second, the concept of a “risky society” is approached from the angle of food risk, with an in-depth discussion of this issue in terms of Brazil’s recent experiences. Finally, the issue of consumption patterns is addressed. The view that the high-income countries add to global change via consumption, and the low- and middle-income countries through population growth, is challenged. The last section deals with the issue of the use of territory in the global environmental change phenomenon, natural resources being spatially specific as are the related economic activities taking place. Cumulative effects of all land use changes produce global environmental change, but it is the localized presence of population and economic activities that are the driving forces behind the scenes. A chapter on the Amazon region explores this complex question, with references to local incentives rather than outside policies as the more viable solution. The second chapter in this section reviews land use and trends in land change in Brazil and, finally, the determinants and consequences of global environmental change are examined at the level of urban spaces, with reference to Brazil, 75 per cent of which is urban.