This chapter addresses socio-environmental challenges, health and traditional communities in the context of climate change. The study regards a protected area, the so-called Mosaico Bocaina, in the municipalities of Angra dos Reis and... more
This chapter addresses socio-environmental challenges, health and traditional communities in the context of climate change. The study regards a protected area, the so-called Mosaico Bocaina, in the municipalities of Angra dos Reis and Paraty, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and Ubatuba, in the state of Sao Paulo, where traditional communities from three different ethnic groups live (indigenous, quilombolas and caicaras). The knowledge of nature and of the physics of climate change (including its causes, consequences and characteristics) isn’t always accompanied by the understanding and science of how climate change affects the well-being and health of populations. The analysis of the public policies and science production for the field concluded that the situation for the region in question is no different from that of other regions in Latin America: (1) public policies have not become effective interventions against climate change in general, and the interest in its implications over the health of populations is recent; (2) the science of climate change is insufficient, especially regarding its effects over the health of populations, whether in this specific region or more encompassing scales; (3) there is no information on how traditional communities perceive climate change, their impacts on health and well-being and tackling strategies. This chapter seeks to contribute to the knowledge of the impacts of climate change on the health and well-being of traditional communities, focusing on the governance tools required to address it. What strategies have traditional communities been using to deal with it? How does the official agenda of efforts reflect the socio-cultural perceptions and mitigation and survival strategies of traditional communities? Qualitative methods of participant observation that combined participation, observation, informal open interviews and analysis of documents were employed. The results generated territorialized knowledge in the social, economic, political and cultural dimensions of climate change and their implications on the health and well-being of traditional communities, as well as allowed the identification of governance mechanisms and socio-cultural strategies that can be used to mitigate, adapt to and help avoiding climate change.
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Tackling climate change at the global level is central to a growing field of scientific research on topics such as environmental health, disease burden, and its resulting economic impacts. At the local level, cities constitute an... more
Tackling climate change at the global level is central to a growing field of scientific research on topics such as environmental health, disease burden, and its resulting economic impacts. At the local level, cities constitute an important hub of atmospheric pollution due to the large amount of pollutants that they emit. As the world population shifts to urban centers, cities will increasingly concentrate more exposed populations. Yet, there is still significant progress to be made in understanding the contribution of urban pollutants other than CO2, such as vehicle emissions, to global climate change. It is therefore particularly important to study how local governments are managing urban air pollution. This paper presents an overview of local air pollution control policies and programs that aim to reduce air pollution levels in megacities. It also presents evidence measuring their efficacy. The paper argues that local air pollution policies are not only beneficial for cities but a...
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Atmospheric pollution is today one of the major environmental health challenges facing urban populations. In urban areas, one of the primary sources of atmospheric pollution is car emissions; emphasizing the need for local government to... more
Atmospheric pollution is today one of the major environmental health challenges facing urban populations. In urban areas, one of the primary sources of atmospheric pollution is car emissions; emphasizing the need for local government to implement public policies that aim to cope with its impacts. To do so, this project seeks to study the relationship between air pollution and its derived effect on the urban environment and global health. It focuses on vehicle emissions as a primary source of atmospheric urban pollution and looks into the different levels of pollutants derived from it including nitrogen, ozone and particulate matter. The project will compare the policies that aim to reduce atmospheric pollution in the metropolitan areas of São Paulo, Paris, and New York such as related to A) vehicle circulation restriction B) public and alternative transportation and C) fuel and fleet standards. The project provides an overview of these three cities and the development of tools that ...
O objetivo foi verificar correlação entre a presença de cianobactérias como indicadoras da qualidade da água do Sistema Guarapiranga e variáveis climáticas da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP). Analisaram-se dados meteorológicos do... more
O objetivo foi verificar correlação entre a presença de cianobactérias como indicadoras da qualidade da água do Sistema Guarapiranga e variáveis climáticas da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP). Analisaram-se dados meteorológicos do IAG/USP e análises laboratoriais da água do Reservatório Guarapiranga da Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo (Sabesp). Verificou-se a correlação entre densidade de cianobactérias e variáveis meteorológicas. Dados climáticos de 1970 a 2012 indicam aumento de condições climáticas propícias à proliferação de cianobactérias. Conclui-se que há indicações de que a densidade de cianobactérias no reservatório do Sistema Guarapiranga tenha relação com pluviosidade e temperaturas mais elevadas durante o período chuvoso do ano e que a proliferação de cianobactérias pode aumentar caso se mantenha a tendência do clima.
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O objetivo básico do trabalho foi avaliar os custos econômicos relacionados às doenças dos aparelhos respiratório e circulatório no município de Cubatão (SP). Para tanto, foram utilizados dados de internação e dias de trabalho perdidos... more
O objetivo básico do trabalho foi avaliar os custos econômicos relacionados às doenças dos aparelhos respiratório e circulatório no município de Cubatão (SP). Para tanto, foram utilizados dados de internação e dias de trabalho perdidos com a internação (na faixa dos 14 aos 70 anos de idade), na base de dados do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Resultados: A partir dos dados levantados, calculou-se o valor total de R$ 22,1 milhões gastos no período de 2000 a 2009 devido às doenças dos aparelhos circulatório e respiratório. Parte desses gastos pode estar diretamente relacionada à emissão de poluentes atmosféricos no município. Para se estimar os custos da poluição foram levantados dados de outros dois municípios da Região da Baixada Santista (Guarujá e Peruíbe), com menor atividade industrial em comparação a Cubatão. Verificou-se que, em ambos, as médias de gastos per capita em relação às duas doenças são menores do que em Cubatão, mas que essa diferença vem diminuindo sensivelmente nos ...
Studies indicate the potential carcinogenic and other harmful effects on health of Microcystis aeruginosa (cyanobacteria) in drinking water. Cyanobacteria blooms are becoming an increasingly common phenomenon worldwide, especially in... more
Studies indicate the potential carcinogenic and other harmful effects on health of Microcystis aeruginosa (cyanobacteria) in drinking water. Cyanobacteria blooms are becoming an increasingly common phenomenon worldwide, especially in urban lakes and reservoirs. The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate the potential relationship between cyanobacteria in the drinking water from the Guarapiranga Reservoir and climate change in the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo, as well as health risks factors associated. Methods used: literature review and analysis of data on water quality and climate parameters. Results: The Guarapiranga Reservoir in Sao Paulo-Brazil, accountable for supplying water to 3.8 million inhabitants of this city, has shown frequent cyanobacterial blooms when the temperature rises and in rainy weather (summer). Climate change in the city of Sao Paulo can worsen these problems related to drinking water once the ideal climatic conditions for the proliferation of cyanobacteria are increasing in frequency. Especially in the last 20 years, the maximum temperatures are higher and episodes of heavy rain are more frequent. This scenario can magnify a public health problem related to cyanobacteria in Sao Paulo and around the world. Climate change may increase public health risks related to drinking water quality as associated with land use.
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Tackling climate change at the global level is central to a growing field of scientific research on topics such as environmental health, disease burden, and its resulting economic impacts. At the local level, cities constitute an... more
Tackling climate change at the global level is central to a growing field of scientific research on topics such as environmental health, disease burden, and its resulting economic impacts. At the local level, cities constitute an important hub of atmospheric pollution due to the large amount of pollutants that they emit. As the world population shifts to urban centers, cities will increasingly concentrate more exposed populations. Yet, there is still significant progress to be made in understanding the contribution of urban pollutants other than CO2, such as vehicle emissions, to global climate change. It is therefore particularly important to study how local governments are managing urban air pollution. This paper presents an overview of local air pollution control policies and programs that aim to reduce air pollution levels in megacities. It also presents evidence measuring their efficacy. The paper argues that local air pollution policies are not only beneficial for cities but are also important for mitigating and adapting to global climate change. The results systematize several policy approaches used around the world and suggest the need for more in-depth cross-city studies with the potential to highlight best practices both locally and globally. Finally, it calls for the inclusion of a more human rights-based approach as a mean of guaranteeing of clean air for all and reducing factors that exacerbate climate change.