The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Operations Center obtained American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding to conduct an ethnographic overview of select proposed solar energy zones (SEZs) to augment the research that had been conducted for the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Development in Six Southwestern States (Draft Solar PEIS). The objective of this project was to solicit tribal identification of traditional cultural properties and sacred landscapes, religious and traditional use sites, significant ethnobotanical resources, other sensitive or significant resources (including visual), and tribal perspectives on the direct and indirect effects of solar energy development through oral interviews and on-site visits to proposed SEZs in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) was selected to perform this work, assisted by the University of Arizona’s Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology (BARA). As the project progressed, the list of participating tribes was modified to accommodate changing tribal needs and requests. When the tribe that had requested to participate in an ethnographic study for three of the California SEZs (Imperial East, Iron Mountain, and Riverside East) was unable to participate, the scope of the project was modified. In the Draft Solar PEIS, the high cost of conducting Class I archaeological records searches for the four California SEZs had precluded that research; the current project was modified from ethnographic interviews to a Class I records search for all four California SEZs (Imperial East, Iron Mountain, Pisgah, and Riverside East) by SWCA. BARA conducted ethnographic studies for Amargosa Valley, Delamar Valley, Dry Lake, East Mormon Mountain, Gold Point, and Millers in Nevada (inclement weather prevented visits to Dry Lake Valley North), and for Escalante Valley, Milford Flats South, and Wah Wah Valley in Utah.

In the remarkable developments that have occurred recently in all sectors of society, e.g. environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integration, responsible investing, social entrepreneurship, and strategic philanthropy, the measurement of extra-financial (or non- financial or external) information remains a key issue. While 'making a difference' is the goal of such developments, no integrated externality measurement framework (IEMF) has been proposed, recognized as a reasonable candidate, or adopted by practitioners. The overall objective of this thesis is to develop such an IEMF which would facilitate meaningful measurements and interpretations of the 'quantum of difference' (e.g. in the context of ESG information) and applications thereof towards resource allocation strategies. The aim is not so much to develop some putative 'perfectly accurate model of reality' but an epistemic framework which would serve as a communicative and organizational anchor. The overall objective derives to five research imperatives, which are responded to by five core chapters in the thesis. The following key findings emerge: Finding 1. The ESG metric landscape exists in a patchwork. In particular, while social impact metrics have proliferated recently, they constitute an incoherent domain of its own, separate from the environmental and governance metric literatures. In devising an IEMF, the key challenges include aggregating disparate metrics and disaggregating causalities. Once such a framework has been devised and adopted by practitioners, one can innovate various resource allocation strategies. Finding 2. The attitudes and approaches toward measurement and metrics can broadly be typologized as being fetishistic, positivistic, cynical, and pragmatic. Taking the pragmatic stance allows us to ascribe an appropriate epistemic status to metrics and calibrates the philosophical proclivity of the culminating IEMF. Finding 3. A geography of philanthropic governance exists. In particular, there are variegated similarities and differences in the perceptions and usage of ecosocial metrics. Significant overlaps in the domain and geographic foci of giving signify the feasibility of meaningful comparison, competition and collaboration among such organizations with metrics at the centrepiece. Finding 4. While best practice benchmarks in the usage of metrics in driving positive tangible changes are rare, a highly innovative integrated rural development program known as Saemaul Undong serves as a solid example. It is possible to maximize the efficiency in resource-deployment, induce participation and competition, and scale a parochial initiative to a national level through the usage of performance metrics. Finding 5. Calibrating appropriate philosophical stance, aggregating widely disparate measuranda, disaggregating casual attribution are among the key challenges towards developing an IEMF. Identifying and adopting appropriate formalisms facilitate addressing such challenges. For adoption in practice, however, one must factor in human expertise and judgements when making resource deployment decisions along with the numbers calculated through such a framework. The findings above constitute a series of 'firsts' of the kind in each relevant bodies of literature, paving the way for further explorations.

Cette thèse a été réalisée au sein des laboratoires du GEMTEX et du LAMIH, et porte sur l’étude et l’évaluation d’une solution composite à renfort tissé pour la protection balistique de véhicule. L’enjeu de cette thèse consiste à explorer le potentiel des solutions en composite à renfort tissé interlock 3D dans le cas d’unimpact à haute vitesse. Deux solutions composites ont été mis au point en laboratoire, intégrant le même renfort tissé interlock mais mis en oeuvre par deux procédés d'imprégnation différents. Ces composites ont été évalués à l’impact par un FSP (Fragment Simulating Projectile) de 20 mm de diamètre, dans une configuration de backing, c'est-à-dire en face arrière d’une plaque métallique utilisée pour la protection contre les impacts à haute vitesse.Plusieurs campagnes d’essais ont été réalisées permettant d’optimiser nos structures interlocks 3D afin de répondre au mieux à la sollicitation dynamique. Les résultats à l’impact de ces composites ont été comparés à ceux d’une solution composite dite de référence généralement utilisée dans les véhicules blindés à base de tissés 2D empilés suivant différentes directions. Ces essais nous ont permis de faire ressortir les performances de l’une des structures développée présentant des capacités de protection à l’impact supérieures aux composites de référence.Afin d’en comprendre les mécanismes des renforts mis en jeu, nous avons représenté numériquement ces tissus interlocks soumis à l’impact. Des modèles numériques innovants ont été simulés dans le but de représenter le renfort tissé de façon réaliste grâce aux mesures obtenues par micro-tomographie à rayons X. / This thesis was performed at the laboratories of GEMTEX and LAMIH on study and evaluation of a solution based on warp interlock reinforced composite for vehicle ballistic protection. The main purpose of this thesis is to explore the potential of warp interlock reinforced composite solutions in the case of a high velocity impact. We have chosen to study two composite solutions manufactured in our laboratory which presented the same warp interlock reinforcement but with different resins and infusion processes. Those composites were tested by an FSP (Fragment Simulating Projectile) impact as armour backing. Few campaign of tests were performed which helped us to optimize our warp interlock structure in order tohave a better response to the dynamic loading. The impact results of our composites have been compared with those of the benchmark which is a composite generally used backing. Thanks to these tests we had the possibility to observe that one of our structures present a better impact behaviour than the others. In order to improve our representation of those reinforcement, we have been working on the numerical modelling of those warp interlock submitted to impact. Innovative numerical models have been set up thanks to micro-tomography analysis allowing a more realistic representation of the reinforcement.

Nous avons étudié l'impact d'un jet millimétrique sur un film de savon. Selon le nombre de Weber et l'angle incident du jet, nous avons montré que le jet peut soit passer au travers du film, soit être absorbé par le film. Dans le premier cas, le passage du jet au travers du film déforme ce dernier. Cette déformation absorbe une partie de l'énergie du jet qui est alors réfracté. Dans le second cas, le jet ne possède pas suffisamment de quantité de mouvement verticale pour traverser le film et est ondule alors sur ce dernier. Nous nous sommes ensuite intéressés à l'effet d'un champ électrique sur une goutte de Leidenfrost. Une méthode interférométrique nous a permis de connaître le profil en trois dimensions de l'interface liquide-vapeur située sous la goutte. Sans champ électrique, cette interface est concave. L'application d'un faible champ électrique attire la circonférence de cette interface vers le substrat. En appliquant un champ électrique plus intense, la goutte en caléfaction entre en contact avec le substrat. Un courant passe alors dans le système et la goutte se comporte comme une résistance à seuil. / We have studied the impact of a millimetric jet on a soap film. According to the Weber number and the incident angle of the jet, we have shown that the jet may either pass through the film or be absorbed by the film. In the first case, the jet passage through the film deforms the latter. This deformation absorbs a portion of the energy of the jet which is then refracted. In the second case, the jet does not have sufficient amount of vertical movement to pass through the film and he undulates on the film. We then investigated the effect of an electrical field on a Leidenfrost droplet. An interferometric method allowed us to know the three-dimensional profile of the liquid-vapor interface below the drop. Without electrical field, this interface is concave. The application of a low electrical field attracts the circumference of the interface to the substrate. By applying a more intense electrical field, the drop in calefaction comes in contact with the substrate. A current flows in the system and the drop behavior is like a threshold's resistor.

Ce travail de thèse est dédié au développement d’un modèle numérique prédictif du comportement de tissu sec soumis à l’impact à haute vitesse. La capacité d’un modèle numérique à prédire au plus juste des performances balistiques d’un tissu est étroitement liée à la bonne représentation des énergies en jeu et de la dynamique de rupture des plis. Parmi les différentes stratégies adoptées pour modéliser un tissu, les modèles mésoscopiques sont les plus populaires du fait de leur capacité à représenter fidèlement l’évolution de l’impact combinée à un coût de calcul raisonnable ; les torons sont alors traités comme des milieux continus.Pour représenter un ensemble de fibres disjointes comme un milieu continu, un modèle constitutif approprié est nécessaire. Celui généralement adopté est capable de bien représenter les propriétés longitudinales d’un toron mais limitatif pour représenter le comportement de sa section droite. Récemment, différents travaux ont démontré l’importance de la mécanique liée à la section droite d’un toron dans la rupture des tissus. Elle joue un rôle majeur pour aboutir à un modèle numérique prédictif. L’objet de cette thèse est de développer une nouvelle loi constitutive capable de surpasser les limites du modèle linéaire élastique classique tout en maintenant une bonne représentation des propriétés longitudinales du toron et un coût de calcul acceptable.La première étape a été de comprendre les phénomènes physiques et de quantifier en particulier les effets liés à la section droite du toron sur les propriétés balistiques d’un tissu. Pour répondre à cette question, deux modèles numériques à l’échelle microscopique d’un toron de Kevlar soumis à l’impact transverse ont été développés. Les résultats obtenus ont montré que la mécanique de la section droite a des répercussions sur l’initialisation de la rupture du fil mettant en jeu des énergies significatives pendant la première phase d’un impact. La nécessité de prendre en compte les aspects physiques liés à la section droite d’un toron a été finalement confirmée.A partir des résultats précédents, un nouveau modèle constitutif de toron adapté à des applications dynamiques a été développé. Une formulation hyperélastique, précédemment utilisée pour des analyses statiques a été étendue au cas de l’impact et une nouvelle approche multi-échelle a été proposée pour la détermination des paramètres matériaux. La validation de la nouvelle loi a été faite en comparant les résultats obtenus à l’échelle mésoscopique (toron) avec ceux obtenus par les analyses à la micro-échelle (fibre). L’approche proposée est capable de reproduire l’évolution de la section droite du fil pendant l’impact en gardant la bonne représentation de ses propriétés longitudinales.Par la suite, le modèle de toron proposé a été implémenté au niveau du tissu. Les résultats ont confirmé les observations faites à l’échelle du toron. Le modèle de tissu composé par des torons hyperélastiques est capable de représenter correctement la dynamique d’impact , l’évolution des énergies en jeu et la rupture du tissu. La stabilité numérique du modèle a également pu être appréciée.Finalement, le modèle mésoscopique de toron proposé permet une bonne représentation du comportement dynamique et appréhension de la rupture. Il devient ainsi un outil pratique et efficace pour la prédiction des performances balistiques de tissus. / The current thesis work focused on the development of a predictive numerical model of dry fabrics under high velocity impact.A mature bibliography exists on the subject. The impact phenomenon can be essentially resumed as an energy transfer between the colliding object and the fabric layers. The correct prediction of the fabric ballistic performance by a numerical model is related to the correct representation of the fabric energy evolution and its failure dynamic. Different numerical strategies have been proposed to model a fabric under ballistic impact. Mesoscopic numerical models resulted to be the most popular since they provide a realistic representation of the phenomenon for a reasonable computational cost. This is possible thanks to the main assumption of treating yarns as continuous media.In order to represent a discrete fiber bundle as a continuum an appropriate constitutive behavior have to be formulated. The universally adopted constitutive law accurately describes yarns longitudinal properties but it is limited in the representation of their transverse mechanical behavior. Recent studies have demonstrated how this last point is intrinsically related to fabrics failure and multilayer textiles response, then its correct representation becomes a critical point for an accurate model. The goal of the current work has been to provide a new constitutive model which overcome the limitation of the classic linear elastic approach while keeping unaltered its advantages, i.e. low computational costs and accurate description of yarn longitudinal behavior.The first step of this dissertation was to quantify the yarn cross section effects over textile ballistic properties and the phenomena related to this aspect. In order to provide an answer, two microscopic numerical studies of a single Kevlar yarn transversely impacted have been presented. Results showed how yarn transverse mechanical behavior has a role in failure initialization, while its energetic contribution to the global energy balance is not negligible during the first phases of an impact. The importance of a correct representation of the yarn transverse behavior for a predictive fabric numerical model was then confirmed.Starting from the previous microscopic observations, a consistent yarn continuum model for impact applications has been proposed. An hyperelastic formulation previously developed for static applications has been extended to impact analyses and a novel multiscale approach for the determination of all the material parameters has been introduced. The validation of the hyperelastic approach has been performed comparing the results with those obtained at the microscale. Compared to the classical approach, the introduced constitutive law is actually able to reproduce the evolution of the yarn cross section during the impact while keeping a correct representation of the yarn longitudinal properties. Moreover, the proposed formulation provides new physical measurement to exploit the physic behind the impact and new possibilities in terms of failure modelisation.In the final part of the dissertation, the proposed yarn continuum model is introduced at the fabric level. Results confirmed the observation performed at the yarn level. The proposed hyperelastic approach is able to correctly represent the impact dynamic and fabric energies trends. Moreover, it provides more stability and a better representation of the fabric failure compared to linear elastic approach. The proposed hyperelastic constitutive law and the linear elastic one can be adopted for different portion of the same yarn without occurring into model instabilities and providing accurate results.The yarn mesoscopic model developed in the current work offers new possibilities in terms of failure modelisation and post processing tools. These could be used to develop more accurate fabric model and exploit the phenomena behind fabrics and yarns failure mechanic.

L'objectif général de ce travail était d'évaluer les stratégies des moyens de subsistance dans le lac Tonle Sap en rapport avec divers facteurs de changement. Plus précisément, l'étude visait à étudier les variations et les déterminants des moyens de subsistance (spatial et temporal), ainsi que les impacts des futurs changements et des communautés de pêcherie (CFis) dans les plaines inondables de Tonle Sap. En utilisant les approches multivariées, j'ai pu mettre en évidence les résultats suivants : Les différentes caractéristiques écologiques déterminent les différentes stratégies des moyens de subsistance et les ressources environnementales sont indispensables pour la période post-conflit des pays comme le Cambodge ; Les divers facteurs humains, naturels et économiques, sociaux et physiques ont influencé le choix et le revenu des ménages ; parmi lesquels, la possession de terrain était le plus important; La perte de net revenu est attendue dans tous les futurs scenarios de changement, particu- lièrement avec ceux qui dépendent uniquement un moyen de subsistance, subi une perte en moyenne de 18% dans tous les scénarios, comparativement à 9% pour le groupe des multi-moyens de subsistance ; La taille idéale de la zone communautaire est de 2 310 hectares et l'impact positif des CFis peut être réalisé en améliorant la planification, le processus opérationnel et le mécanisme de résolution des conflits, également qu'en développant et renforçant des réseaux et la conformité des règles. Les résultats suggèrent que les moyens de subsistance sont spécifiques au contexte et le choix des stratégies des ménages est associé à une gamme de facteurs socio-écologiques. Nous devons éviter une prescription unique pour aborder les problèmes des moyens de subsistance dans le Tonle Sap. Effectivement, les implications politiques pour améliorer la participation aux moyens de subsistance ainsi que pour maximiser les avantages économiques et sociaux à long terme pour les ménages devraient accorder une attention particulière aux ménages pauvres en ressources. Par conséquent, l'augmentation de la richesse et des biens du ménage, ainsi que l'établissement des programmes efficaces de conservation des ressources améliorent effective- ment la capacité d'adaptation des ménages en réponse aux changements inattendus et également contribuent à renforcer et soutenir les organisations des CFis. / The overall goal of this research was to assess the livelihood strategies in the Tonle Sap in the face of various drivers of change around the lake. Specifically, the study intended to investigate livelihood variations and determinants (both spatial and temporal), and the impact of future scenario changes and of the Community Fisheries (CFis) in the Tonle Sap's floodplain. By using multivariate approach, I am able to highlight the fol- lowing findings: - different ecological characteristics influencing livelihood strategies and the environmental resources are imperative in post-conflict Cambodia; - various human, natural and economic, social, and physical capitals have influenced household's choice and income. Land was the most significant; - net income loss is expected for under all future scenarios, with those engaged in single livelihoods experiencing an average loss of 18% across all scenarios compared to 9% for the multi-livelihood group; - an ideal size of community area is 2,310 hectares and the positive impact of CFis can be achieved by improving planning, operational process and conflict resolution mechanism, developing networks and reinforcing rule compliance. The findings suggest that livelihood is context specific and the choice of household's strategies is associated with a range of socio and ecological factors and we should avoid a one-size-fit prescription to tackle livelihood problems in the Tonle Sap. Policy impli- cations to improve livelihood participation and maximize the long-term economic and social benefits for household should consider special attention to resource poor house- holds, increase household's wealth and assets, design and implement effective resource conservation programs, improve households' adaptive capacity in response to unex- pected changes and continue strengthening and supporting the CFi organizations.

This thesis examines the impacts of adult HIV/AIDS related mortality on elderly women and their households in Agincourt, a rural area in the north-eastern part of South Africa. It focuses specifically on demographic, socio-economic and socio-cultural impacts of adult AIDS and non-AIDS illness/death on near-old women aged 50-59 and older women aged 60 and above. The study uses the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System (AHDSS) 2004 census data which contains some history about individuals and their households (e.g. household mortality experience between 1992 and 2004). The AHDSS dataset is used to examine elderly female household headship and its relationship with, firstly, pension status and secondly, adult AIDS/non-AIDS mortality, through statistical analyses. Also, the AHDSS census data is utilised as a sampling frame to select a random sample of 60 households in which 30 women aged 50-59 and 30 women aged 60-75 lived, for the qualitative part of this study. The sample was made up of 20 women who lived in households that had experienced an HIV/AIDS death between 2001 and 2003, 20 women that lived in households where another type of adult death had occurred, and 30 women in households with no adult death during the period. The findings from the quantitative analyses of the AHDSS dataset reveal that there is no significant relationship between adult AIDS/non-AIDS death and elderly female household headship. Further findings, however, show that elderly female household headship is strongly associated with pension status, thereby suggesting that pension grant is a determining factor in the household headship status of elderly women. One implication of this is that elderly female household heads who are pensioners may be able to cope better with HIV/AIDS impacts as findings from the qualitative data demonstrate that pensioners (older women) are more likely, than non-pensioners (near-old women), to have access to coping strategies, which enable them to deal with the financial crises of adult illness/death in their households. There is, therefore, the need for programmes to target near-old women, who experience the financial impact of adult morbidity/mortality like their older peers. iii Further findings from the qualitative data explicate secondary stigma as a socio-cultural impact of adult HIV/AIDS on elderly women who are caregivers to infected children. Findings also highlight different types of secondary stigma such as physical stigma in the form of separation from family members and social stigma in the form of social isolation. The study suggests that there is need for intervention programmes that address the issue of secondary stigma as it makes caregiving responsibilities more burdensome for elderly women.

As fraturas dos ossos longos são geralmente provocadas por esforços dinâmicos de impacto (choque). O esclarecimento do comportamento de ossos submetidos a testes controlados de impacto pode representar um aprofundamento no conhecimento geral sobre as questões que envolvem a ocorrência das fraturas. Os testes de impacto são, de modo geral, realizados por meio de uma máquina especificamente desenvolvida, provida de um martelo pendular que incide sobre corpos de prova do material testado. Porém, as máquinas de impacto disponíveis no mercado são projetadas para ensaiar materiais com dimensões definidas de acordo com a norma relativa ao tipo de material, que não são adaptadas para materiais biológicos. Os materiais biológicos são em geral anisotrópicos, o que impede a confecção de corpos de prova com formas e dimensões rigorosamente padronizadas, como acontece com os materiais não biológicos. Desta forma, uma máquina de ensaio de impacto para materiais biológicos deve ser, necessariamente, especificamente desenvolvida para essa finalidade, com a principal característica de que os apoios dos corpos de prova possam ser mudados de forma e posição conforme as necessidades de cada material em teste. Foi o objetivo deste trabalho, projetar, construir e testar, comparativamente a outra máquina comercialmente disponível, uma máquina de ensaio de impacto especificamente destinada a materiais biológicos, com possibilidade de variação dos vãos entre os apoios dos corpos de prova, o que flexibiliza o ensaio de acordo com as características de cada material. / Fractures of long bones are generally caused by dynamic impact loads (shock). Studying clearing the behaviour of bones submitted to controlled impact tests may contribute to deepen the general knowledge on the phenomena involving the event of fractures. The impact tests are usually carried out with a specially designed machine, provided with a pendulum hammer which strikes on specimens of the tested material. However, the commercially available impact testing machines are designed for isotropic materials, of definite shape and dimensions according to standards specific for each material, which are not adapted for biologic materials. The biologic materials are in general anisotropic by nature, what prevents the construction of test pieces with rigorously standardised shape and dimensions, as it happens with non-biological materials. Therefore, especially designed impact testing machine should be developed for this purpose. lts a main characteristic would be that the test pieces supports can be changed and moved, to adapt to their shapes and dimensions. The design, development and test of as impact testing machine specifically designed for bone, comparing it to another conmercially available machine, was the aim of this work machine developed enables the variation of the distance between the test piece supports, which allows to carry out tests according to the physical characteristics of any test piece.

A Avaliação de Impacto (AI) engloba processos, métodos, procedimentos e instrumentos, que buscam informar os tomadores de decisão sobre os efeitos ambientais e sociais na implantação de projets de modo a reduzir o desequilíbrio entre os pilares da sustentabilidade. Contudo, sua aplicação no ambiente urbano tem ocorrido de modo pontual e desarticulada ao planejamento das cidades. O surgimento do Estudo de Impacto de Vizinhança (EIV) a partir da Lei 10.257/2001 (Estatuto da Cidade), integrado ao processo decisório municipal voltado para a análise e aprovação de projetos e atividades potencialmente causadores de perturbações na dinâmica urbana e qualidade de vida nas cidades, desponta como uma oportunidade de fortalecimento da AI na esfera local, que implica na necessidade de compreensão dos fatores que influenciam a sua efetividade. A presente pesquisa visa caracterizar do quadro de aplicação do EIV no Brasil, por meio do levantamento dos aspectos institucionais/legais que orientam a sua aplicação nos 50 municípios mais populosos brasileiros, assim como o quadro específico verificado no município de São Carlos. Os dados levantados foram cotejados diante de princípios internacionais de efetividade da AI, o que permitiu estabelecer as lacunas e pontos de convergência entre o EIV e a AI. Foi realizada a análise de qualidade do conteúdo dos EIVs, o que permitiu identificar pontos que podem ser aprimorados como a definição de escopo e de alternativas, a identificação e previsão dos impactos, a avaliação de significância, a definição de medidas mitigadoras e o compromisso com o acompanhamento, além de alguns aspectos considerados positivos como a descrição do ambiente e o modo de apresentação das informações. Houve aspectos contextuais que contribuíram para a efetividade da AI como sua aplicação ocorrer de forma antecipada, sua equipe envolver diferentes disciplinas e o processo envolver os afetados, embora não em todos os casos. O aperfeiçoamento da utilização do EIV no contexto brasileiro requer uma definição mais precisa do seu propósito, e procedimentos para integração ao processo decisório. / Impact Assessment (IA) encompasses processes, methods, procedures and instruments that seek to inform decision makers about the environmental and social effects of project implementation in order to reduce the imbalance between the sustainability pillars. However, its application in the urban environment was carried out in a isolated and disjointed way to city planning. The emergence of the Neighbourhood Impact Assessment (EIV) based on Law 10.257/2001 (City Statute) emerges as an opportunity to strengthen IA in the local sphere, which implies the need to understand the factors that influence its effectiveness when integrated to the municipal decision-making process aimed at the analysis and approval of projects and activities potentially causing disturbances in the urban dynamics and quality of life in the cities. The present research aims to characterize of the framework for the application of EIVs in Brazil, through a survey of the institutional/legal aspects that guide its application in the 50 most populous Brazilian municipalities, as well as the specific situation in the city of São Carlos. The data collected were checked against international principles of effectiveness of the IA, which allowed to establish the gaps and points of convergence between the EIV and the IA. The analysis of the quality of the EIVs content was carried out, which allowed the identification of points that could be improved such as the definition of scope and alternatives, the identification and prediction of impacts, the evaluation of significance, the definition of mitigating measures and the commitment with the monitoring, as well as some positive aspects such as the description of the environment and the way information is presented. There were contextual aspects that contributed to the effectiveness of AI as its application occurred in advance, its team involved different disciplines and the process involved the affected, although not in all cases. Improving the use of EIV in the Brazilian context requires a more precise definition of its purpose, and procedures for integrating the decision making process.

A Avaliação de Impacto Ambiental (AIA) é um processo de caráter prévio que visa fundamentar e auxiliar no processo de tomada de decisão sobre a viabilidade ambiental de um empreendimento ou atividade. No Brasil, uma das principais etapas deste processo é a elaboração do Estudo de Impacto Ambiental (EIA). Objetivando o embasamento para a tomada de decisão, um ponto fundamental de um EIA é a apresentação e comparação de alternativas locacionais. Apesar de ter um papel primordial na análise dos possíveis cenários de impactos ambientais, na prática atual, tanto no contexto nacional como internacional, a análise de alternativas de localização dentro da AIA exibe diversas deficiências e falhas indicadas por inúmeros autores, como a não apresentação de alternativas de localização, a presença de alternativas impraticáveis, a ausência de comparação entre as alternativas, a baixa qualidade dos estudos e a fraca justificativa da seleção locacional. Dessa maneira, o presente estudo objetivou descrever e analisar a qualidade dos estudos de alternativa locacional apresentadas nos EIAs do estado de São Paulo no período de 2005 a 2016. Para isso, elaborou-se uma lista de verificação que foi então aplicada para a amostra de 52 EIAs e 33 Termos de Referência (TR). Verificou-se que, do total de estudos analisados, 46% não apresentaram alternativas de localização para o empreendimento proposto. Além disso, 75% dos critérios estabelecidos na lista de verificação obtiveram conceitos insatisfatórios. Mesmo entre os estudos que continham alternativas de localização, 58% dos critérios foram também avaliados como insatisfatórios, indicando uma baixa qualidade geral dos estudos e diversas fragilidades, principalmente referentes aos processos de seleção de alternativas a serem analisadas, de comparação entre as alternativas e de justificativa de seleção do local determinado com base na análise locacional apresentada. Os critérios que obtiveram os melhores conceitos foram os referentes a apresentação e descrição de alternativas, indicando um caráter muito mais descritivo do estudo de localização do que comparativo. Os TRs avaliados também obtiveram conceitos insatisfatórios, o que indicou que não apenas a qualidade dos estudos locacionais é inadequada, como também a qualidade das diretrizes que os guiam. Os resultados observados reforçaram as deficiências encontradas na literatura e evidenciaram a necessidade de aprimoramento desta etapa da AIA no estado de São Paulo, principalmente por meio da inclusão de diretrizes mais detalhadas nos TRs, do desenvolvimento de instrumentos de planejamento territorial que auxiliem e direcionem os estudos locacionais e da melhora nos processos de seleção de alternativas para análise, comparação entre as alternativas e justificativa do local selecionado dentro dos estudos locacionais nos EIAs / The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool that aims to support and assist the decision-making process about the environmental viability of a project or activity. In Brazil, one of the main steps in this process involves the elaboration of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS). To properly support the decision-making process, an EIS key point is the study of locational alternatives, including the presentation, analysis and comparison of alternatives. In spite of having a primary role in analysing possible scenarios of environmental impacts, in current practice, both in the national and international context, the locational alternatives analysis in the EIA process shows several deficiencies indicated by many authors, such as the lack of alternatives consideration, the presence of unreasonable alternatives, the lack of comparison between alternatives, the poor quality of the studies and the poor justification of the site selection. Thus, this study aimed to describe and evaluate the quality of the alternative locational studies presented in the EISs of the state of São Paulo from 2005 to 2016. For this purpose, a checklist was elaborated, which was then applied to a sample of 52 EISs and 33 Terms of Reference (TR). The results show that 46% of the studies did not consider any locational alternatives. Additionally, 75% of the criteria set out in the checklist were assessed as unsatisfactory. Even among the studies that considered locational alternatives, 58% of the criteria were also assessed as inadequate, indicating a low general quality of the studies and several weaknesses, mainly referring to the processes of selecting alternatives to be analysed, of comparing alternatives and of justifying the site selection based on the presented locational analysis. The criteria that obtained the best results were those referring to the alternatives presentation and description, indicating that the locational analysis tend to approach a much more descriptive aspect rather than a comparative approach. The TRs criteria were also evaluated as inadequate, indicating that not only the quality of the locational studies is insufficient, but the quality of its guidelines is also inappropriate. The results in this study support the deficiencies found in the literature review and point out the need to improve the locational analysis in the EISs of São Paulo state, mainly through the input of more detailed guidelines in the TRs, the development of territorial planning tools that can help to guide the studies in the selection of reasonable alternatives to be assessed and the improvement of alternatives analysis, comparison and justification