Publicações

Ferramentas de tecnologia da informação (TI) têm sido apropriadas por governos em diferentes caminhos, por exemplo, para melhorar seus processos internos e efetuar atendimentos ao cidadão via web, todavia novas ferramentas de TI também têm sido utilizadas em coprodução de serviços públicos, como é o caso do Simulador de Direção Veicular (SDV), que é usado dentro do processo de habilitação de condutores (CNH). Essas novas relações precisam ser estudadas para explicar a sociomaterialidade, as relações de poder, interesses e limitações que delas decorrem. Para tal, identifica-se que o SDV é adotado dentro de um contexto governamental, e sua execução depende do cidadão (coprodução de serviço público). Para atingir os objetivos desta pesquisa, utilizam-se a análise sociomaterial e a análise crítica do discurso, e, paralelamente, consideram-se as perspectivas institucionais das organizações e as teorias de governo eletrônico. Os resultados explicam o material e social, sua imbricação, limites, ideologias e os interesses dos atores, bem como estes lidam com as regras existentes para atender aos seus interesses e as relações de poder existentes, dentro de uma perspectiva do realismo crítico.

The Amazon biome contains more than half of the remaining tropical forests of the planet and has a strong impact on aspects of meteorology such as the planetary boundary layer (PBL). In this context, the objective of this study was to conduct observational evaluations of the daily cycle of the height of the PBL during its stable (night) and convective (day) phases from data that were measured and/or estimated using instruments such as a radiosonde, sodar, ceilometer, wind profiler, lidar and microwave radiometer installed in the central Amazon during 2014 (considered a typical year) and 2015 during which an intense El NiñoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO) event predominated during the GoAmazon experiment. The results from the four intense observation periods (IOPs) show that during the day and night periods, independent of dry or rainy seasons, the ceilometer is the instrument that best describes the depth of the PBL when compared with in situ radiosonde measurements. Additionally, during the dry season in 2015, the ENSO substantially influenced the growth phase of the PBL, with a 15 % increase in the rate compared to the same period in 2014.

Brazil is experiencing continuous growth in the solar energy market over the last years, and it is expected that solar power plants will have a significant contribution to the Brazilian energy matrix soon. The solar irradiance variability is an important issue due to its impact on electricity distribution systems. However, solar energy variability has not been comprehensively evaluated in Brazil. The study aimed to assess the capacity of two numerical models of mesoscale in simulating the solar radiation conditions in the Northeastern region of Brazil. For this, a case study was conducted comparing the surface solar irradiation data acquired in 41 automated weather stations operating in the study area and managed by the Brazilian Institute of Meteorology with estimates provided by two weather mesoscale models BRAMS and WRF. The study indicated that the difference between the model’s uncertainties is small (typically less than 5%) when evaluating the entire region of the Brazilian Northeast. However, local comparisons may show more notable discrepancies reflecting uncertainties in the estimates produced by the models.

O bioma Caatinga representa cerca de 10% do território nacional e tem uma população estimada em 28 milhões de habitantes. Sua vegetação arbóreo-arbustiva, adaptada às condições de semiaridez, exerce um papel fundamental na manutenção do balanço hidrológico, na alimentação da matriz energética e na geração de receitas para o país. No entanto, o bioma ainda é um dos que recebe menor atenção da comunidade científica. Diante disso, o presente artigo de revisão visa apresentar elementos que contribuam para a atualização do estado da arte sobre o uso de dados ópticos de observação da Terra na conservação da vegetação da Caatinga, a partir da identificação das iniciativas de mapeamento em diferentes escalas que contemplam o bioma. Para tal, esse estudo fez uma revisão bibliográfica sistemática cujo enfoque principal foi a caracterização dos sensores orbitais imageadores, técnicas de classificação de imagem, legendas de uso e cobertura, estratégias de validação, e o intervalo temporal compreendido por cada iniciativa. Esse detalhamento permitiu avaliar o grau de usabilidade e confiabilidade dos produtos existentes. Assim, esse estudo espera abrir possibilidades para preencher lacunas científicas existentes e que carecem de investigação no que diz respeito ao papel dos dados ópticos de observação da Terra no mapeamento da vegetação da Caatinga e no subsídio de recursos para novas iniciativas, ações de restauração e, consequentemente, aprimoramento de políticas públicas em prol da conservação e uso sustentável dos recursos do bioma.

Increasing demand for water is one of the most challenging problems that human societies face today and has encouraged new studies to examine water security and water management. Seeking to discuss this important issue in the Brazilian context, we analyzed the impacts of urban expansion on water security in a basin located in the most populated region of Brazil. To quantify increased water demand, we combined urban sprawl and regional population increase projections. In this context, our study contributes to discussions on water security by addressing the importance of integration between water and urban planning. Simulations indicate good performance in reproducing actual water system conditions. The finding demonstrates that urban expansion in the region is mainly driven by road proximity. Urban occupation is projected to increase in 170% by 2050, increasing water demands for domestic use in 38%. Results indicate the feasibility of including landscape and socioeconomic constrains in order to obtain potential domestic water demand scenarios by using land use and land cover change modelling to assess urban expansion and population growth. For the study region, our findings suggest that although urban sprawl increases water demand, urban supply will not be compromised given the large volume of available water in the basin. However, the indirect consequences of urban sprawl, such as industrialization and agricultural intensification, may compromise the quality of this resource and require better water use management in the region.

Background: Tropical forests play a fundamental role in the provision of diverse ecosystem services, such as biodiversity, climate and air quality regulation, freshwater provision, carbon cycling, agricultural support and culture. To understand the role of forests in the carbon balance, aboveground biomass (AGB) estimates are needed. Given the importance of Brazilian tropical forests, there is an urgent need to improve AGB estimates to support the Brazilian commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Many AGB maps and datasets exist, varying in availability, scale and coverage. Thus, stakeholders, policy makers and scientists must decide which AGB product, dataset or combination of data to use for their particular goals. In this study, we assessed the gaps in the spatial AGB data across the Brazilian Amazon forests not only to orient the decision makers about the data that are currently available but also to provide a guide for future initiatives. Results: We obtained a map of the gaps in the forest AGB spatial data for the Brazilian Amazon using statistics and differences between AGB maps and a spatial multicriteria evaluation that considered the current AGB datasets. The AGB spatial data gap map represents areas with good coverage of AGB data and, consequently, the main gaps or priority areas where further biomass assessments should focus, including the northeast of Amazon State, Amapá and northeast of Pará. Additionally, by quantifying the variability in both the AGB maps and field data on multiple environmental factors, we provide valuable elements for understanding the current AGB data as a function of climate, soil, vegetation and geomorphology. Conclusions: The map of AGB data gaps could become a useful tool for policy makers and different stakeholders working on National Communications, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+), or carbon emissions modeling to prioritize places to implement further AGB assessments. Only 0.2% of the Amazon biome forest is sampled, and extensive effort is necessary to improve what we know about the tropical forest.

Authors discuss school safety and disaster education in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Case studies explore work to increase understanding of natural hazards and disaster preparedness. Puerto Rico offers innovative examples of reflection on memories of Hurricane Maria by primary students and university undergraduates. From Brazil comes description of work in schools to develop curriculum skills and research competencies at high-school level. The Brazilian scheme encourages schools to become producers of knowledge rather than reproducers of centrally disseminated information. Another case study focuses on efforts to protect university buildings in Colombia. The rich landscape of policy, practice and experience in South America and the Caribbean is informed by a model of the three pillars of Comprehensive School Safety: 1. Safe Learning Facilities, 2. School Disaster Management, and 3. Risk Reduction and Resilience Education.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 recommends several actions for early warning systems (EWSs). However, there is a lack of information about their means of implementation. This article used institutional ethnography to analyze the 2012-2018 implementation of a national warning system in Brazil. The challenges related to daily activities, and the interdisciplinary works in the four axes of EWSs towards multi-hazard and people-centered approaches are discussed. This national experience is then discussed in the light of the global challenges of EWSs considering two main issues: (1) experiences of implementation and barriers related to people-centered warning systems; and (2) types of national/regional warning systems and hazards/threats that are being monitored as an important input for multi-hazard approaches. There are few multi-hazard warning systems in place and EWSs are focused on hydrometeorological hazards, mainly related to floods. The Sendai Framework needs to improve access to data and information, identify views from the frontline, consider political threats and vulnerabilities, and find ways to talk about disaster risk creation processes at a larger scale.

Deforestation and drought are among the greatest environmental pressures on the Amazon rainforest, possibly destabilizing the forest-climate system. Deforestation in the Amazon reduces rainfall regionally, while this deforestation itself has been reported to be facilitated by droughts. Here we quantify the interactions between drought and deforestation spatially across the Amazon during the early 21st century. First, we relate observed fluctuations in deforestation rates to dry-season intensity; second, we determine the effect of conversion of forest to cropland on evapotranspiration; and third, we simulate the subsequent downwind reductions in rainfall due to decreased atmospheric water input. We find large variability in the response of deforestation to dry-season intensity, with a significant but small average increase in deforestation rates with a more intense dry season: with every mm of water deficit, deforestation tends to increase by 0.13% per year. Deforestation, in turn, has caused an estimated 4% of the recent observed drying, with the south-western part of the Amazon being most strongly affected. Combining both effects, we quantify a reinforcing drought-deforestation feedback that is currently small, but becomes gradually stronger with cumulative deforestation. Our results suggest that global climate change, not deforestation, is the main driver of recent drying in the Amazon. However, a feedback between drought and deforestation implies that increases in either of them will impede efforts to curb both.

Tropical forests regulate the global water and carbon cycles and also host most of the worlds biodiversity. Despite their importance, they are hard to survey due to their location, extent, and particularly, their cloud coverage. Clouds hinder the spatial and radiometric correction of satellite imagery and also diminishing the useful area on each image, making it difficult to monitor land change. For this reason, our purpose is to identify the cloud detection algorithm best suited for the Amazon rainforest on Sentinel2 images. To achieve this, we tested four cloud detection algorithms on Sentinel2 images spread in five areas of the Amazonia. Using more than eight thousand validation points, we compared four cloud detection methods: Fmask 4, MAJA, Sen2Cor, and s2cloudless. Our results point out that FMask 4 has the best overall accuracy on images of the Amazon region (90%), followed by Sen2Cors (79%), MAJA (69%), and S2cloudless (52%). We note the choice of method depends on the intended use. Since MAJA reduces the number of false positives by design, users that aim to improve the producers accuracy should consider its use.

Brazil hosts the largest expanse of tropical ecosystems within protected areas (PAs), which shelter biodiversity and support traditional human populations. We assessed the vulnerability to climate change of 993 terrestrial and coastal-marine Brazilian PAs by combining indicators of climatic-change hazard with indicators of PA resilience (size, native vegetation cover, and probability of climate-driven vegetation transition). This combination of indicators allows the identification of broad climate-change adaptation pathways. Seventeen PAs (20,611 km2) were highly vulnerable and located mainly in the Atlantic Forest (7 PAs), Cerrado (6), and the Amazon (4). Two hundred fifty-eight PAs (756,569 km2), located primarily in Amazonia, had a medium vulnerability. In the Amazon and western Cerrado, the projected severe climatic change and probability of climate-driven vegetation transition drove vulnerability up, despite the generally good conservation status of PAs. Over 80% of PAs of high or moderate vulnerability are managed by indigenous populations. Hence, besides the potential risks to biodiversity, the traditional knowledge and livelihoods of the people inhabiting these PAs may be threatened. In at least 870 PAs, primarily in the Atlantic Forest and Amazon, adaptation could happen with little or no intervention due to low climate-change hazard, high resilience status, or both. At least 20 PAs in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Amazonia should be targeted for stronger interventions (e.g., improvement of ecological connectivity), given their low resilience status. Despite being a first attempt to link vulnerability and adaptation in Brazilian PAs, we suggest that some of the PAs identified as highly or moderately vulnerable should be prioritized for testing potential adaptation strategies in the near future.