The purpose of this study is to revise the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's (DWAF's) current Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) procedure and to develop an Environmental Management Framework (EMF), so as to ensure that the environment is considered in a structured, formal manner at each decision-making stage of the projects development business process. The proposed EMF provides process diagrams that align the IBM principles, the environmental assessment and management tools, and the engineering business process with the project life cycle approach for DWAF's water sector functional areas. Key decision-making points are introduced to the business process to ensure that all the specific requirements have been met before continuing to the next engineering stage of the business life cycle. Auditing nodes were identified within the life cycle approach and complement the decision-making points and strengthen the evaluation of environmental compliance and performance. These process diagrams is designed to prompt development planners and implementers to consider the environment at all stages of the business life cycle and practice sound environmental management. The EMF is based on international best practice and follows the Deming model philosophy as well as principles and elements of an environmental management system. The EMF must be an integral part in the way the department conduct its business and not seen as an ad hoc function and the duties of the environmental officer. To conclude, the EMF is the building block and interim management plan for an appropriate environmental management system in the future and the first step towards business excellence for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography and Environmental Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-07T14:27:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1450366 bytes, checksum: 6d65107a01b77df76b70085b8e7cf960 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Sustainable development presupposes updated and efficient in environmental management instruments. Currently, the National Environment Policy in Brazil has advantages and disadvantages compared to other countries. Licensing is one of the most debated instruments and for now we will study it compared to strategic environmental assessment, delineating points of convergence and divergence between them and presenting reasons and prospects for the viability of the institutionalization of the latter in the Brazilian legal system. First we will deal with the Brazilian public environmental management for, then, we enter the more specific issues, such as the object and procedure for each of the above-mentioned institutes. The key-question of the research is, therefore, why the environmental license which is today practiced in Brazil can not be considered efficient regarding the implementation of social and environmental sustainability of economic development and how the adoption of strategic environmental assessment would contribute to the solution of this problem? , the response being our main objective. In the case of evaluation, by not being elected as one of the instruments of environmental management by the National Environment Policy, unlike the licensing, we will also present its main characteristics in the foreign legal systems and a brief overview of its growing prominence in the international debate. This is a survey of exploratory and qualitative nature, through detailed investigation of the relationship between the environmental licensing and AAE. Concerning each environmental management tool under analysis, the method of proceeding is deductive , in order to elucidate the characteristics , the object and scope of each one. Regarding methods of proceeding, shall be used the historical (survey of the evolution of licensing and AAE), the comparative (from the analysis of other systems), the monographic (with the study of the performance of each of the actors involved) and the structuralist (abstraction of all the factual problems at the level of theoretical discussion will allow to propose concrete solutions). Therefore, the bibliographical and documentary research will be used as research techniques, based on the analysis of literature on the subject in books, journals, official documents and electronic databases. / O desenvolvimento sustentável pressupõe instrumentos atualizados e eficientes no âmbito da gestão ambiental. A Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente vigente no Brasil apresenta vantagens e desvantagens em relação às de outros países. O licenciamento é um dos instrumentos mais debatidos e por ora o estudaremos em comparação à avaliação ambiental estratégica, traçando pontos de convergência e divergência entre ambos e apresentando razões e perspectivas para a viabilidade da institucionalização desta última no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro. Trataremos primeiramente da gestão ambiental pública brasileira para, posteriormente, adentrarmos a questões mais específicas, como o objeto e o procedimento de cada um dos institutos supramencionados. A pergunta-chave da pesquisa é, portanto, por que o licenciamento ambiental que hoje é praticado no Brasil não pode ser considerado eficiente face à concretização da sustentabilidade socioambiental do desenvolvimento econômico e no que a adoção da avaliação ambiental estratégica contribuiria para a solução desse problema? , sendo essa resposta nosso objetivo geral. No caso da avaliação, pelo fato de não estar eleita como um dos instrumentos de gestão ambiental pela Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente, diversamente do licenciamento, apresentaremos também suas características mais destacadas nos ordenamentos jurídicos alienígenas e um breve panorama do seu destaque crescente no debate internacional. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de natureza exploratória e qualitativa, por meio da investigação pormenorizada da relação entre o licenciamento ambiental e a AAE. Em relação a cada instrumento de gestão ambiental sob análise, o método de abordagem será o dedutivo, com o fim de elucidar as características, o objeto e escopo de cada um. Quanto aos métodos de procedimento, serão utilizados o histórico (levantamento da evolução do licenciamento e da AAE), o comparativo (a partir da análise de outros ordenamentos), o monográfico (com o estudo do desempenho de cada um dos atores sociais envolvidos) e o estruturalista (a abstração de todos os problemas fáticos ao nível de discussão teórica possibilitará a proposição de soluções concretas). Para tanto, a pesquisa bibliográfica e a documental serão utilizadas como técnicas de pesquisa, com base na análise da produção literária a respeito do tema, em livros, periódicos científicos, documentos oficiais e em bases de dados eletrônicos.

The purpose of this article is to introduce the competencies of OEFA, the way this organization has been implementing mechanisms for its exercise and the liabilities of the administered regarding supervision and control. / La finalidad de este artículo es dar a conocer las competencias del Organismo de Evaluación y Fiscalización Ambiental (OEFA), la forma como este organismo viene implementado losmecanismos para su ejercicio y las obligaciones del administrado respecto de la supervisión y fiscalización.

Since the discovery of oil in Nigeria, way back in 1950s, the country has invariably suffered some negative environmental consequences such as oil pollution resulting from gas flaring and oil extraction, loss of mangrove trees, which before now was a source of livelihood for the indigenous people and habitat for the area’s biodiversity. Oil production activities have caused contamination of marine life, and habitat, which in turn have had negative consequences on the health of humans, who consume the sea food. Inadequate attention had been paid by the successive Governments of Nigeria and the oil companies to these environmental problems over the years. In this study, an assessment of the effects of oil and gas exploration and exploitation on the nearby communities in some of Chevron’s operational areas was carried out using the Ugborodo community as a case study. Furthermore, investigations were carried out on the toxicity effects of the Escravos crude oil on aquatic organisms like Tilapia and a terrestrial organism such as the Earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris,). The study established the effect and the impact of crude oil when exposed to such organisms mentioned above. The rate of death of barbus fingerlings of Tilapia and the Earthworm (Lumbricus Terrestris) at different concentrations of crude oil was determined and reported. The community survey undertaken by polling data shows the dwindling of the natural resources of the area due to oil exploration and the survey indicate the impacts on natural resources from pollution by crude oil and the consequences on the affected communities using the Ugborodo community in the Chevron’s Nigeria Limited Operational base as a case study. / Environmental Sciences / M.Sc. (Environmental Management)

Essa pesquisa estuda as contribuições e potencialidades da Avaliação Ambiental Estratégica (AAE) como instrumento de planejamento urbano- territorial capaz de sugerir a implementação econômica, social e ambientalmente sustentável de políticas, planos e programas habitacionais e de prevenir os impactos socioambientais decorrentes, resultando na contribuição para sustentabilidade do desenvolvimento urbano. O objetivo do trabalho é avaliar o Programa Minha Casa Minha Vida no& Brasil e as possíveis contribuições da AAE para a tomada de decisão sobre o programa habitacional em questão. Desse modo, a AAE é analisada como potencial instrumento para assegurar a integração ambiental com o planejamento estratégico do setor habitacional, utilizando, como estudo de caso, o programa Minha Casa Minha Vida (PMCMV). Através da construção de moradias, o PMCMV visa incrementar a indústria da construção civil, criando empregos e contribuindo para a movimentação econômica do país. Entretanto, muitas vezes, o programa é implantado em áreas urbanas sem a devida infraestrutura e os serviços necessários, provocando, muitas vezes, a deterioração ambiental e social da região. Esta pesquisa conclui que a sistemática da AAE para implementar os princípios do desenvolvimento sustentável no PMCMV é, senão essencial, recomendável para a tomada de decisão, pois considera as variáveis ambientais sociais e econômicas nas etapas de planejamento. / This research studies the contributions and potential of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as a tool for urban planning for ensuring economic implementation, social and environmental sustainability of policies, plans and housing programs, as well as preventing environmental impacts, resulting in the contribution to sustainable urban development. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the Minha Casa Minha Vida program in Brazil, and the possible contributions of SEA to decision making regarding this housing program. Thus, SEA is analyzed as a potential instrument to guarantee environmental integration with the strategic planning of the housing sector, using, as a case study, the Minha Casa Minha Vida program (PMCMV). Through the construction of houses, the PMCMV aims to stimulate the construction industry, creating jobs and contributing to the increase of economic activity in the country. However, sometimes the program is deployed in urban areas without adequate infrastructure and services, causing environmental and social deterioration of the region. This research concludes that the SEA process to implement sustainable development principles in the PMCMV is highly recommended, if not essential, to decision making, since it considers the environmental, social and economic variables during planning phases.

Submitted by Biblioteca de Pós-Graduação em Geoquímica BGQ (bgq@ndc.uff.br) on 2016-05-02T17:17:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese final toda (11_agosto_2015).pdf: 3292855 bytes, checksum: bbd17ebdbe647b364c4a07ba7475191a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-02T17:17:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese final toda (11_agosto_2015).pdf: 3292855 bytes, checksum: bbd17ebdbe647b364c4a07ba7475191a (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Universidade Federal Fluminense. Instituto de Química. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências-Geoquímica. Niterói, RJ / As baías do Estado do Rio de Janeiro são ecossistemas de grande importância econômica, ecológica e social. Entretanto, estes ambientes vêm sofrendo impactos antropogênicos, oriundo de diversas origens. Dentre as diversas fontes de poluição dos ecossistemas de baías, pode-se destacar a contaminação por hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (HPA), uma vez que estes compostos estão presentes em grande parte das atividades urbano-industriais, atingindo os ambientes aquáticos após derramamentos acidentais de petróleo. Os HPA são carcinogênicos, mutagênicos e genotóxicos. Desta forma são considerados poluentes prioritários em monitoramentos ambientais. Para avaliação da contaminação de ambientes aquáticos por HPA como parte de programas de monitoramentos ambientais do EUA e de alguns países da Europa têm sido utilizados, de forma crescente, os chamados biomarcadores. Estes podem ser definidos como alterações bioquímicas, celulares, moleculares ou mudanças fisiológicas nas células, fluidos corpóreos, tecidos ou órgãos de um organismo indicativos da exposição ou efeito de um xenobiótico. A utilização de biomarcadores em peixes tem se mostrado bastante eficaz na avaliação dos efeitos da contaminação por esta classe de compostos. Diante disso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a contaminação por HPA em bagres (Genidens genidens) das baías de Guanabara (BG), Sepetiba (BS) e Ilha Grande (BIG) através do uso de biomarcadores. Para tanto, analisou-se uma série de biomarcadores em bagres coletados nas baías de Guanabara, Sepetiba e Ilha Grande, a saber: avaliação do fator de condição; determinação de metabólitos de HPA em bile; determinação de etoxireosrufina- O-desetilase (EROD) hepática; avaliação da frequência de micronúcleos (MN) e anormalidades nucleares eritrocitárias (ANE); avaliação das alterações histopatológicas hepáticas; e formação de adutos de HPA-DNA. O fator de condição evidenciou diferenças na saúde geral dos peixes nas áreas estudadas, tendo os peixes da BG os piores índices de saúde. Foi observada diferença estatisticamente significativa entre a BG e BIG e BS e BIG, para todos os metabólitos de HPA estudados. A indução de EROD também se mostrou mais elevada na BG comparativamente a BS e BIG, com diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre as áreas. Da mesma forma, o MN elucidou estas diferenças. Novamente, a BG mostrou os piores efeitos entre as áreas estudadas. No caso das alterações histopatológicas, a BS mostrou as maiores prevalências de injúrias. Na avaliação do aduto de BPDE-DNA, os peixes da BG possuíram os piores efeitos genotóxicos, com diferença estatisticamente significativa em relação a BIG. A realização de estudos que utilizam ferramentas de avaliação da contaminação em áreas de grande importância social, econômica e ecológica, como o litoral do estado do Rio de Janeiro, é fundamental para o real conhecimento dos impactos causados pelos poluentes, pré requisito essencial para um efetivo plano de conservação e restauração destes ecossistemas / The bays of the state of Rio de Janeiro are ecosystems of great economic, ecological and social importance. However, these environments are suffering anthropogenic impacts, arising from diverse backgrounds. Among the several pollution sources, the pollution caused by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is under concern since these compounds are present in many urban and industrial activities. This class of chemistry can cause severe damages in the aquatic biota and suggesting the necessity for environmental monitoring to assess the effects of PAH in fish. The PAH are carcinogenic, mutagenic and genotoxic, being considered priority pollutants in environmental monitoring. For evaluation of contamination by PAH in aquatic environments as part of environmental monitoring, US programs and of some countries in Europe has been used, increasingly, biomarkers. These can be defined as biochemical changes, cellular, molecular or physiological changes in cells, body fluids, tissues or organs of an organism indicative of exposure or effect of a xenobiotic. The use of biomarkers in fish has been shown quite effective in evaluation of the contamination effects by this class compounds. Thus, the objective of this study was evaluate the PAH contamination in fish from Guanabara, Sepetiba and Ilha Grande Bay, using biomarkers. Therefore, we analyzed a series of biomarkers in catfish collected in these bays, namely: assessment of the condition factor; determination of PAH metabolites in bile; determination of the activity of O – ethoxy- resorufin - deetilase (EROD) in fish liver; evaluation of the frequency of micronucleus (MN) and erithrocytic nuclear abnormalities (ENA); evaluation of histopathological hepatic injuries and; formation of PAH-DNA adducts. The condition factor demonstrated differences in the general health of fish arising distinct studied areas. Fish from BG showed the worst health index. There was a statistically significant difference between BG and BS and BG and BIG for all PAH metabolites analyzed. The EROD induction was also higher in BG compared to BS and BIG, with statistically significant differences between areas. Likewise, the micronucleus elucidated these differences. Again, BG showed the worst effects of the studied areas. In the case of the histopathological changes, BS revealed the highest prevalence of injuries. In assessing the BPDE-DNA adduct, fish BG possessed the worst genotoxic effects, with statistically significant difference from BIG. The knowledge of the impacts of pollutants in aquatic biota, based on use of biomarkers in areas with significant social, economic and ecological importance, like Rio de Janeiro cost, is essential for effective conservation and restoration plan of these ecosystems.

Originally developed in the 1970s for the optimal control of systems governed by partial differential equations, the adjoint method has found several successful applications, e.g. in meteorology with large-scale 3D or 4D atmospheric data assimilation schemes, for carbon cycle data assimilation in biogeochemistry and climate research, or in oceanographic modelling with efficient adjoint codes of ocean general circulation models.<p><p>Despite the variety of applications in these research fields, adjoint methods have only very recently drawn attention from the ocean acoustics community. In ocean acoustic tomography and geoacoustic inversion, where the inverse problem is to recover unknown acoustic properties of the water column and the seabed from acoustic transmission data, the solution approaches are typically based on travel time inversion or standard matched-field processing in combination with metaheuristics for global optimization. <p><p>In order to complement the adjoint schemes already in use in meteorology and oceanography with an ocean acoustic component, this thesis is concerned with the development of the adjoint of a full-field acoustic propagation model for shallow water environments. <p><p>In view of the increasing importance of global ocean observing systems such as the European Seas Observatory Network, the Arctic Ocean Observing System and Maritime Rapid Environmental Assessment (MREA) systems for defence and security applications, the adjoint of an ocean acoustic propagation model can become an integral part of a coupled oceanographic and acoustic data assimilation scheme in the future. <p><p>Given the acoustic pressure field measured on a vertical hydrophone array and a modelled replica field that is calculated for a specific parametrization of the environment, the developed adjoint model backpropagates the mismatch (residual) between the measured and predicted field from the receiver array towards the source.<p><p>The backpropagated error field is then converted into an estimate of the exact gradient of the objective function with respect to any of the relevant physical parameters of the environment including the sound speed structure in the water column and densities, compressional/shear sound speeds, and attenuations of the sediment layers and the sub-bottom halfspace. The resulting environmental gradients can be used in combination with gradient descent methods such as conjugate gradient, or Newton-type optimization methods tolocate the error surface minimum via a series of iterations. This is particularly attractive for monitoring slowly varying environments, where the gradient information can be used to track the environmental parameters continuously over time and space.<p><p>In shallow water environments, where an accurate treatment of the acoustic interaction with the bottom is of outmost importance for a correct prediction of the sound field, and field data are often recorded on non-fully populated arrays, there is an inherent need for observation over a broad range of frequencies. For this purpose, the adjoint-based approach is generalized for a joint optimization across multiple frequencies and special attention is devoted to regularization methods that incorporate additional information about the desired solution in order to stabilize the optimization process.<p><p>Starting with an analytical formulation of the multiple-frequency adjoint approach for parabolic-type approximations, the adjoint method is progressively tailored in the course of the thesis towards a realistic wide-angle parabolic equation propagation model and the treatment of fully nonlocal impedance boundary conditions. A semi-automatic adjoint generation via modular graph approach enables the direct inversion of both the geoacoustic parameters embedded in the discrete nonlocal boundary condition and the acoustic properties of the water column. Several case studies based on environmental data obtained in Mediterranean shallow waters are used in the thesis to assess the capabilities of adjoint-based acoustic inversion for different experimental configurations, particularly taking into account sparse array geometries and partial depth coverage of the water column. The numerical implementation of the approach is found to be robust, provided that the initial guesses are not too far from the desired solution, and accurate, and converges in a small number of iterations. During the multi-frequency optimization process, the evolution of the control parameters displays a parameter hierarchy which clearly relates to the relative sensitivity of the acoustic pressure field to the physical parameters. <p><p>The actual validation of the adjoint-generated environmental gradients for acoustic monitoring of a shallow water environment is based on acoustic and oceanographic data from the Yellow Shark '94 and the MREA '07 sea trials, conducted in the Tyrrhenian Sea, south of the island of Elba.<p> <p>Starting from an initial guess of the environmental control parameters, either obtained through acoustic inversion with global search or supported by archival in-situ data, the adjoint method provides an efficient means to adjust local changes with a couple of iterations and monitor the environmental properties over a series of inversions. <p><p>In this thesis the adjoint-based approach is used, e.g. to fine-tune up to eight bottom geoacoustic parameters of a shallow-water environment and to track the time-varying sound speed profile in the water column. <p><p>In the same way the approach can be extended to track the spatial water column and bottom structure using a mobile network of sparse arrays.<p><p>Work is currently being focused on the inclusion of the adjoint approach into hybrid optimization schemes or ensemble predictions, as an essential building block in a combined ocean acoustic data assimilation framework and the subsequent validation of the acoustic monitoring capabilities with long-term experimental data in shallow water environments. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

En France, le développement rapide de la méthanisation, procédé de production d'énergie renouvelable par dégradation de résidus organiques, soulève la question de la pertinence environnementale de la filière. Cette dernière mérite d'autant plus d'être évaluée que le développement de la filière est inscrit dans les plans climatiques et énergétiques nationaux. La méthanisation centralisée s'insère d'ailleurs de manière profitable dans diverses démarches d'écologie industrielle et territoriale (EIT), au sein desquelles la multifonctionnalité du procédé constitue un atout substantiel en faveur du bouclage des flux de matière et d'énergie. Cette multifonctionnalité représente néanmoins la principale source de difficultés méthodologiques rencontrées lors de l'évaluation des performances environnementales de systèmes de méthanisation. Sa résolution, à savoir la définition de la fonction principale d'un système, passe par la contextualisation de la méthode. Pour l'analyse du cycle de vie (ACV), cette contextualisation se révèle pertinente dès la première étape de la méthodologie. Ce travail de thèse propose un cadre conceptuel visant à définir des scénarios de méthanisation contraints par leur territoire d'implantation. Pour cela, une approche systémique territoriale, impliquant les systèmes d'information géographique (SIG) et la modélisation orientée objet, a été développée. Elle résulte en un modèle spatial de l'insertion territoriale d'une filière de méthanisation centralisée, qui intègre l'ensemble de ses éléments constitutifs, réseaux ou variables. A l'issue de l'approche systémique a lieu une phase d'optimisation fonctionnelle et spatiale qui met en jeu trois séries successives d'indicateurs, permettant de définir : (i) la fonction principale que remplirait un système de méthanisation au sein du territoire étudié, (ii) les configurations possibles d'un système de méthanisation qui puissent satisfaire à cette fonction principale et (iii) les zones préférentielles d'implantation des scénarios élaborés. Cette méthodologie, conçue de manière à être transposable à tout territoire français, s'intègre aux étapes de l'ACV de définition des objectifs et d'inventaire du cycle de vie. Afin de valider l'applicabilité de la méthode développée, deux territoires contrastés ont été soumis à l'approche systémique territoriale. Ces cas d'étude ont mis en évidence les liens entre spécificités territoriales et conception de la filière. L'influence de la fonction principale retenue pour un système de méthanisation sur la réalisation et les résultats de l'ACV a par ailleurs été étudiée pour l'un de ces territoires. Les différences les plus notoires tiennent aux substitutions et montrent l'importance de développer la méthanisation en priorité lorsque le contexte local permet aux fonctions multiples de la filière de remplacer des filières existantes dont les impacts sur l'environnement sont particulièrement préjudiciables. / In France, the rapid development of anaerobic digestion (a process used to generate renewable energy by breaking down organic residues) has led to the environmental relevance of this solution being questioned. It is particularly worthwhile evaluating inasmuch as development of the sector forms part of national climate and energy plans. Centralised anaerobic digestion also fits in profitably with various industrial ecology approaches, with the multifunctionality of the process constituting a substantial asset in that it favours circular flows of materials and energy. However, this multifunctionality also represents the main source of the methodological difficulties encountered in the evaluation of the environmental performance of anaerobic digestion systems. Resolving this, i.e. defining the main function of a system, requires the environmental evaluation method to be contextualised. For life cycle assessment (LCA), this contextualisation emerges as being appropriate to the first stage of the methodology. This thesis puts forward a conceptual framework, aimed at defining anaerobic digestion scenarios that are consistent with the particularities of the territory in which they are located. To do this, a territorial systemic approach, involving geographic information systems (GIS) and object-oriented modelling, was developed. The approach has resulted in a spatial model for territorial location of a centralised anaerobic digestion solution, incorporating all its component parts, networks and variables. The systemic approach was followed by a phase of functional and spatial optimisation involving three successive sets of indicators, enabling the following to be defined: (i) the main function to be played by an anaerobic digestion system within the territory studied, (ii) the possible configurations of an anaerobic digestion system capable of fulfilling this main function and (iii) the preferential zones for locating the scenarios envisaged. This methodology, designed to be transposable to any territory within France, forms part of the first two LCA stages, i.e. definition of objectives and life cycle inventory. In order to validate the applicability of the method developed, the territorial systemic approach was applied to two different territories. These case studies highlight the links between specific territorial characteristics and the design of the local solution. The influence of the main function selected for an anaerobic digestion system on the performance and results of the LCA was also studied for one of these territories. The most noteworthy differences relate to substitution, highlighting the importance of developing anaerobic digestion as a priority when the local context makes it possible for the multiple functions of the solution to replace existing sectors with particularly harmful effects on the environment.

The prospect of reducing environmental impacts is a key driver for the research and development (R&amp;D) of new forest products. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is often used for assessing the environmental impact of such products, e.g. for the purpose of guiding R&amp;D. The aim of this thesis is to improve the methods and practices of LCA work carried out in the R&amp;D of forest products. Six research questions were formulated from research needs identified in LCA work in five technical inter-organisational R&amp;D projects. These projects also provided contexts for the case studies that were used to address the research questions. The main contributions of the research are as follows: Regarding the planning of LCA work in inter-organisational R&amp;D projects, the research identified four characteristics that appear to be important to consider when selecting the roles of LCAs in such projects: (i) the project’s potential influence on environmental impacts, (ii) the degrees of freedom available for the technical direction of the project, (iii) the project’s potential to provide required input to the LCA, and (iv) access to relevant audiences for the LCA results. Regarding the modelling of future forest product systems, it was found that (i) it is important to capture uncertainties related to the technologies of end-of-life processes, the location of processes and the occurrence of land use change; and (ii) the choice of method for handling multi-functionality can strongly influence results in LCAs of forest products, particularly in consequential studies and in studies of relatively small co-product flows. Regarding the assessment of environmental impacts of particular relevance for forest products, it was found that using established climate impact assessment practices can cause LCA practitioners to miss environmental hot-spots and make erroneous conclusions about the performance of forest products vis-à-vis non-forest alternatives, particularly in studies aimed at short-term impact mitigation. Also, a new approach for inventorying water cycle alterations was developed, which made it possible to capture catchment-scale effects of forestry never captured before. To connect the LCA results to global challenges, a procedure was proposed for translating the planetary boundaries into absolute product-scale targets for impact reduction, e.g. to be used for evaluating interventions for product improvements or for managing trade-offs between impact categories.

A agricultura é considerada uma das atividades antrópicas ambientalmente mais impactantes, sejam esses impactos em âmbito econômico, social e ambiental. Acarreta, portanto, interferência nos meios natural e socioeconômico, tanto positivos quanto negativos. Destaca-se, no Brasil, o cultivo da cana-de-açúcar, que utiliza práticas consideradas impactantes em todo o seu ciclo agrícola e industrial. Com o objetivo de praticar os valores de sustentabilidade, o setor sucro-alcooleiro precisa incorporar a variável ambiental na tomada de decisão desde as etapas iniciais do planejamento, permitindo a construção de cenários preditivos que tornem as atividades humanas menos impactantes negativamente para os sistemas ambientais, econômicos e sociais. Com isso, fazer esforços no sentido de praticar o desenvolvimento sustentável. Assim, o presente trabalho avalia as possíveis contribuições do instrumento de política ambiental Avaliação Ambiental Estratégica - AAE - para o setor agrícola, tendo como referência o Projeto Ambiental Etanol Verde Estratégico (PAEVE), do Governo do Estado de São Paulo, tomando como estudo de caso da região da bacia do rio Pardo. Para tanto, após uma revisão bibliográfica internacional dos conceitos, procedimentos e resultados do uso do instrumento (AAE), com maior enfoque para os casos realizados na agricultura, são analisados os procedimentos utilizados para a elaboração do PAEVE como um plano setorial estratégico da cana-de-açúcar no estado de São Paulo, à luz dos procedimentos comumente utilizados em AAE, por meio de uma matriz de avaliação da qualidade, técnica SWOT e análise crítica. Posteriormente é utilizado Sistemas de Informações Geográfica para avaliar aspectos relacionados ao Zoneamento Agro Ambiental do PAEVE e seus condicionantes técnicos, tendo como estudo de caso a região da bacia do rio Pardo, no estado de São Paulo. Dentre os resultados, merece destaque a indicação dos procedimentos dos planos e programas relacionados ao setor agrícola sucro-alcooleiro que podem ser influenciados pela Avaliação Ambiental Estratégica a fim de endereçar a sustentabilidade ao processo decisório. / Agriculture is considered one of the most environmentally impacting human activities. These impacts are in the economic, social and environmental aspects. Therefore, it entails interference in the natural and socio-economic, both positive and negative issues. It stands out in Brazil the cultivation of sugar cane, which uses practices considered striking all along its life cycle. Aiming to incorporate the environmental variable into decision make since its initial stages of planning, an important task is to build predictive scenarios on sugarcane sector activities for a less harmful development into environmental, economic and social aspects. Thus, this study assesses the possible contributions of environmental policy instrument Strategic Environmental Assessment - SEA - for the agricultural sector, with reference to the Strategic Green Ethanol Project of São Paulo State, in a case study on Pardo´s river basin. To do so, it is established an international review of the use of the instrument, with greater focus on the cases used in agriculture. So, it is analyzed the procedures of Strategic Green Ethanol Project within a SEA framework, throughout a quality assessment matrix, SWOT and critical analysis. Its used Geographic Information System for evaluating aspects related to the Agro Ecological Zoning of Strategic Green Ethanol Project, its conditioning technical factors, having as case study the region of Pardo´s river basin, in the state of São Paulo, Among the results, deserves attention the indication of the procedures in plans and programs related to agricultural sector of sugarcane that could have beneficial influential of Strategic Environmental Assessment towards promoting sustainable development into the decision making.