O presente trabalho discute a cobrança pelo uso da água como instrumento de gestão ambiental, abordando os usuários de água para irrigação e geração de energia elétrica a partir da inserção de parâmetros econômicos e ambientais na definição dos valores a serem cobrados, de forma a monitorar a alocação eficiente dos recursos hídricos. A área escolhida para aplicação dos estudos foi a bacia dos ribeirões do Lobo e do Feijão, formadores do rio Jacaré Guaçú/SP. O estudo levanta a demanda hídrica potencial de ambos os usuários de água, contrapondo à disponibilidade hídrica, aos custos médios de investimento, faturamento médio e o benefício líquido produzidos pelo incremento da água. Foram apresentados valores relativos aos identificados possíveis cenários de conflitos por demanda hídrica, em termos de quantidade, os quais a cobrança poderia atuar como instrumento mediador de interesses e de incentivo ao uso racional da água e do solo. Os resultados da discussão indicam que a cobrança deve considerar não só variáveis econômicas mas, sobretudo, variáveis ambientais e sociais da bacia hidrográfica, possibilitando a articulação da cobrança com os demais instrumentos de gestão dos recursos naturais e a participação efetiva da sociedade na consolidação e aplicação dos valores a serem cobrados. / This study discusses water use charges as an environmental management tool, approaching users for irrigation and electricity generation, applying economic and environmental parameters to determine the charges to be applied to promote efficient allocation of the water resources. The study area comprises of the watersheds of the \"Ribeirão do Lobo\" and the \"Ribeirão do Feijão\", which together form the Jacaré Guaçú River. The study determines the potential water demand by the two users, against the availability, average investment costs, average returns and net profits by increased water availability. Values are presented for the conflict scenarios that were identified in terms of quantity, for which charges could serve as a mediation instrument and as an incentive for efficient use of water and soil. As a result of the study it can be said that water charges, rather than only economic variables, should most of all consider environmental and social variables, integrating the water charges with the other natural resource management instruments and effective social participation for the establishment and application of the charges.

Investigação acerca efetividade de um dos instrumentos da Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente brasileira, que é o da garantia da prestação de informações relativas ao ambiente e da obrigação do Poder Público em produzi-las, quando inexistentes (Lei federal nº 6.938, de 31 de agosto de 1981, artigo 9º, inciso XI). A pesquisa teve como foco o problema da abrangência e eficácia das estruturas normativas e políticas existentes para efetivação desse instrumento. Em se tratando das estruturas normativas, destacam-se além do estabelecido pela Constituição Federal brasileira, os dispositivos da Lei federal nº 10.650, de 16 de abril de 2003, acerca do acesso público aos dados e informações ambientais existentes nos órgãos e entidades integrantes do Sistema Nacional do Meio Ambiente. Para tanto se propôs investigar o que é abrangível nas informações ambientais relacionadas ao instrumento da Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente e sua efetividade no contexto da aplicabilidade do instrumento em estudo da Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente e o que foi efetivamente regulado pela Lei nº 10.650/2003. Entretanto, buscou verificar a possibilidade de não confirmação da hipótese de que o instrumento em foco não carece de mais regramento para sua aplicação em relação aos demais instrumentos. Partindo-se do pressuposto de ser este efetivamente um instrumento concomitante em relação aos demais. Como referenciais teóricos estão alguns princípios do direito constitucional e do direito ambiental, particularmente, os princípios da publicidade e da informação. Assim foram considerados os diversos fundamentos políticos e jurídicos para operação do instrumento estudado, associado que está a direitos e garantias fundamentais implicados, devem ser considerados na perspectiva constitucional. Para avaliar a efetividade da garantia da prestação de informações relativas ao meio ambiente, a que está obrigado o Poder Público a produzi-las, quando inexistentes, foi realizado o estudo de sua hipotética aplicação nos termos vigentes relativamente aos demais instrumentos de política ambiental brasileira de abrangência nacional. / Research concerning the effectiveness of one of the instruments of the Brazilian Environmental National Policy, that is the warranty of rendering the environmental information and the obligation of the authorities in producing them when they nonexistent (federal Law 6.938, of August 31, 1981, article 9th, XI). This research had as focus the problem of the embrace and efficacy of the existent normative and political structures for effectiveness of that instrument. The normative structures are that established by the Brazilian Federal Constitution, the federal Law 10.650, of April 16, 2003, concerning the public access to existing environmental information in the agencies of the Environmental National System. This research intended to investigate the embraceable of the environmental information related to the instrument of the Environmental National Policy. Adding to that, investigate the effectiveness of the studied instrument of Environmental National Policy in the context of this applicability and what was in fact regulated by the Law 10.650/2003. Another point was verifying the possibility of non confirmation of the hypothesis that the instrument in focus does not need more regulation for its application in relation to other instruments. This research assumes that the instrument is concomitant in relation to the others instruments of Environmental National Policy. As theoretical references have some principles of the constitutional right and of the environmental law, particularly, the principle of the publicity and principle of the information. As the several political and juridical bases were considered for the use of the studied instrument, associated to the fundamental rights and warranties, the research considered the constitutional perspective. To evaluate the effectiveness of the warranty of rendering environmental information, which the authorities are obliged to produce when they nonexistent, the study of its hypothetical application related to effectiveness of the other Environmental National Policy instruments was did.

This thesis evaluates transparency in the context of water utilities’ regulation by comparing legal frameworks in three jurisdictions: Victoria (Australia), England (United Kingdom) and Jakarta (Indonesia). Each of these jurisdictions is selected because of their particular ownership and regulatory model. The thesis analyses whether specific ownership or regulatory models will have implications for transparency. The terms “transparency” and “water utilities’ regulation” are first defined and form the thesis’ analytical framework. This is then applied against the three jurisdictions compared. By evaluating each of the three jurisdictions, the thesis expects to provide explanation on how transparency is enabled or inhibited by the legal frameworks. The thesis recommends a solution by comparing the three jurisdictions and generating “lessons learned”.

Claims related to the environment increasingly permeate the domain of human and fundamental rights. It is widely accepted that a direct functional relationship exists between the pursuit of environmental aims generally, and the protection of environmental rights. By and large, this relation compelled 'the environment' to have become a prominent contemporary focus point in legal thought, discourse and adjudication. Since local government operates closer to citizens than any other level of government, it is obvious that it may be expected of it to also play an important role in the management and regulation of matters that affect the environment. In the main, this study questions the extent to which the South African legal framework facilitates local government progress in the decentralised fulfilment of the section 24 environmental right in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Firstly, this thesis provides a theoretical literature review of a number of approaches to, categories of and different perspectives on environmental rights in general. As part of this review a number of generic elements is identified for the fulfilment of constitutional environmental provisions, generally. The literature review attends also to the notions of local environmental governance and 'local politics of pollution', amongst other concepts related to local government. Secondly, this thesis (by employing the comparative research method and by using the generic elements for fulfilment of constitutional environmental provisions as benchmarks) critically considers the Constitution or Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949 (Grundgesety and relevant developments in Germany with reference to the European context and a local government case study on the municipality of Heidelberg. It considers also the Constitution of Namibia of 1990 and relevant developments in Namibia with reference to the African and Southern African contexts and a case study on the Walvis Bay municipality. The South African position is subsequently analysed, first with a focus on section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, environmental law and related developments, then shifting the focus to the constitutional provisions on local government, local government law, related developments and the case of the Drakenstein Local Municipality. Thirdly, based on the lessons learned from and lacunae identified in all three of the countries considered, this study concludes with a set of recommendations for the South African context. / Thesis (LL.D.) -- North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Claims related to the environment increasingly permeate the domain of human and fundamental rights. It is widely accepted that a direct functional relationship exists between the pursuit of environmental aims generally, and the protection of environmental rights. By and large, this relation compelled 'the environment' to have become a prominent contemporary focus point in legal thought, discourse and adjudication. Since local government operates closer to citizens than any other level of government, it is obvious that it may be expected of it to also play an important role in the management and regulation of matters that affect the environment. In the main, this study questions the extent to which the South African legal framework facilitates local government progress in the decentralised fulfilment of the section 24 environmental right in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Firstly, this thesis provides a theoretical literature review of a number of approaches to, categories of and different perspectives on environmental rights in general. As part of this review a number of generic elements is identified for the fulfilment of constitutional environmental provisions, generally. The literature review attends also to the notions of local environmental governance and 'local politics of pollution', amongst other concepts related to local government. Secondly, this thesis (by employing the comparative research method and by using the generic elements for fulfilment of constitutional environmental provisions as benchmarks) critically considers the Constitution or Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949 (Grundgesety and relevant developments in Germany with reference to the European context and a local government case study on the municipality of Heidelberg. It considers also the Constitution of Namibia of 1990 and relevant developments in Namibia with reference to the African and Southern African contexts and a case study on the Walvis Bay municipality. The South African position is subsequently analysed, first with a focus on section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, environmental law and related developments, then shifting the focus to the constitutional provisions on local government, local government law, related developments and the case of the Drakenstein Local Municipality. Thirdly, based on the lessons learned from and lacunae identified in all three of the countries considered, this study concludes with a set of recommendations for the South African context. / Thesis (LL.D.) -- North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Trata-se de estudo da força normativa do direito constitucional de todos ao meio ambiente ecologicamente equilibrado para a construção de uma cultura de equilíbrio ambiental no Brasil, integrante da linha de pesquisa Direito Ambiental e Novos Direitos, área de concentração Direito Ambiental e Sociedade, do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Direito, nível de Mestrado acadêmico, da Universidade de Caxias do Sul (Brasil). O meio ambiente ecologicamente equilibrado, que é direito transindividual, é bem de uso comum do povo e essencial à sadia qualidade de vida, incumbindo ao Poder Público e da coletividade o dever de defendê-lo e preservá-lo para as presentes e futuras gerações. O novo paradigma constitucional do direito de propriedade privada condiciona o exercício do domínio à função social e à função ambiental da propriedade. Por isso, o Estado não mais defende qualquer propriedade, mas aquela que cumpre a sua função social e ambiental. A democracia participativa ambiental, por meio de seus vários instrumentos, garante às cidadãs e aos cidadãos a participação ativa na construção de uma cultura de equilíbrio ambiental no Brasil. A educação ambiental tem especial importância para criar em todos os partícipes da vida nacional a consciência da vontade de Constituição. A informação ambiental completa a educação ambiental. Tendo presente os pressupostos da força normativa da Constituição (Konrad Hesse), o estudo constata que, quanto ao conteúdo, a Constituição é atual, e quanto à práxis, o direito constitucional de todos ao meio ambiente ecologicamente equilibrado está tendo força normativa para a construção de uma cultura de equilíbrio ambiental no Brasil. / Submitted by Marcelo Teixeira (mvteixeira@ucs.br) on 2014-06-03T18:03:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Paulo Natalicio Weschenfelder.pdf: 1244233 bytes, checksum: bb6b7d4352b1bbe5ba0e65055e354b37 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-03T18:03:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Paulo Natalicio Weschenfelder.pdf: 1244233 bytes, checksum: bb6b7d4352b1bbe5ba0e65055e354b37 (MD5) / This is a study of the normative force of everyone´s constitutional right to an ecologically balanced environment in order to build a culture of environmental balance in Brazil, belonging to Environmental Law and New Rights research line, main field Enviromental and Social Law, of Post-Graduate Program in Law, for Master degree obtention, University of Caxias do Sul (Brazil). The ecologically balanced environment, which is a transindividual right, is a people´s common use and essential to a healthy quality of life, commissioning the Government and the collectivity to defend it and preserve it for the current and future generations. The new constitutional right to private property paradigm affects the exercise on the field of the social function and environmental function of the property. Therefore, the State no longer maintains any property, but one that fulfills its social and environmental function. Environmental participatory democracy, through its various instruments, guarantees to citizens the right to participate actively in building a culture of environmental balance in Brazil. Environmental education has particular importance for all participants in the national life consciousness of the will of the Constitution. Environmental information completes environmental education. Bearing in mind the assumptions of the normative force of the Constitution (Konrad Hesse), the study notes that, in substance, the Constitution is modern, and what about práxis, the everyone´s constitutional right to an ecologically balanced environment is having normative force for building a culture of environmental balance in Brazil.

Trata-se de estudo da força normativa do direito constitucional de todos ao meio ambiente ecologicamente equilibrado para a construção de uma cultura de equilíbrio ambiental no Brasil, integrante da linha de pesquisa Direito Ambiental e Novos Direitos, área de concentração Direito Ambiental e Sociedade, do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Direito, nível de Mestrado acadêmico, da Universidade de Caxias do Sul (Brasil). O meio ambiente ecologicamente equilibrado, que é direito transindividual, é bem de uso comum do povo e essencial à sadia qualidade de vida, incumbindo ao Poder Público e da coletividade o dever de defendê-lo e preservá-lo para as presentes e futuras gerações. O novo paradigma constitucional do direito de propriedade privada condiciona o exercício do domínio à função social e à função ambiental da propriedade. Por isso, o Estado não mais defende qualquer propriedade, mas aquela que cumpre a sua função social e ambiental. A democracia participativa ambiental, por meio de seus vários instrumentos, garante às cidadãs e aos cidadãos a participação ativa na construção de uma cultura de equilíbrio ambiental no Brasil. A educação ambiental tem especial importância para criar em todos os partícipes da vida nacional a consciência da vontade de Constituição. A informação ambiental completa a educação ambiental. Tendo presente os pressupostos da força normativa da Constituição (Konrad Hesse), o estudo constata que, quanto ao conteúdo, a Constituição é atual, e quanto à práxis, o direito constitucional de todos ao meio ambiente ecologicamente equilibrado está tendo força normativa para a construção de uma cultura de equilíbrio ambiental no Brasil. / This is a study of the normative force of everyone´s constitutional right to an ecologically balanced environment in order to build a culture of environmental balance in Brazil, belonging to Environmental Law and New Rights research line, main field Enviromental and Social Law, of Post-Graduate Program in Law, for Master degree obtention, University of Caxias do Sul (Brazil). The ecologically balanced environment, which is a transindividual right, is a people´s common use and essential to a healthy quality of life, commissioning the Government and the collectivity to defend it and preserve it for the current and future generations. The new constitutional right to private property paradigm affects the exercise on the field of the social function and environmental function of the property. Therefore, the State no longer maintains any property, but one that fulfills its social and environmental function. Environmental participatory democracy, through its various instruments, guarantees to citizens the right to participate actively in building a culture of environmental balance in Brazil. Environmental education has particular importance for all participants in the national life consciousness of the will of the Constitution. Environmental information completes environmental education. Bearing in mind the assumptions of the normative force of the Constitution (Konrad Hesse), the study notes that, in substance, the Constitution is modern, and what about práxis, the everyone´s constitutional right to an ecologically balanced environment is having normative force for building a culture of environmental balance in Brazil.

I Sverige började processen med att skydda natur redan 1909 och arbetet har fortsatt fram till idag. Även om naturskyddet ska gynna oss alla, är arbetet med det sällan problemfritt. Mitt intresse för dessa problem, hur de kan förstås och hanteras på ett konstruktivt sätt, är utgångspunkten för denna kandidatuppsats. Studien ämnar undersöka hur information och kommunikation har påverkat de närboendes upplevelse till Sand Life, i samband med utökandet och restaureringen av naturreservatet Haväng och Vitemölla strandbackar. I fallstudien undersöks delvis också den konflikt som uppstod i processen. Undersökningen möjliggjordes i tre steg: intervjuer med länsstyrelsen och Sand Lifes medarbetare; enkätundersökning och djupintervjuer med ett antal närboende i Vitemölla. Resultatet tyder på att de närboende som grupp, initialt var negativt inställda till Sand Life. Inställningen tycks bottna i att man upplevt länsstyrelsen och Sand Lifes ursprungliga planer som alltför omfattande och inte tillräckligt förankrade, utifrån ett lokalt perspektiv. Det framkom också att informationen om projektet hade varit bristfällig, vilket möjligen kan kopplas till den inställning man initialt hade. Idag pekar resultaten på att de närboende som grupp är neutrala till försiktigt positiva i sin upplevelse av Sand Life. I huvudsak verkar detta bero på att åtgärderna i naturreservatet blev tilltalande; möjligen kan inställningen också kopplas till att länsstyrelsen och Sand Life tog hänsyn och reviderade skötselplanen samt visade större öppenhet mot de närboende. Eventuellt kan proaktiv information, tydliga avsikter och viljan att utveckla olika planer och projekt i en kontinuerlig dialog med lokalbefolkningen begränsa naturskydd- och förvaltningskonflikters omfattning. / Although nature conservation is supposed to benefit all of us, the work is rarely trouble-free. My concern for these problems is the starting point for this candidacy. The study intends to investigate how information and communication has influenced the residents' attitude to Sand Life, in connection with the development of Haväng and Vitemölla nature reserve. The case study also examines the conflict that arose in the process. The investigation was made possible in three steps: interviews with the county administrative board and Sand Life staff members; questionnaire and interviews with residents around Vitemölla. The result indicates that the residents as a group initially were negative in their attitude to Sand Life. The attitude seemed to be caused by the experience that the county administrative board and Sand Lifes' original plans for the nature reserve was too extensive and not sufficiently anchored, from a local perspective. It was also found that the information about the project had been inadequate, which could possibly be linked to the initial attitude. Today the results indicate that the residents as a group are neutral to cautiously positive in their attitude to Sand Life. Possibly due to the fact that the measures taken in the nature reserve became appealing; the attitude can perhaps also be linked to the authorities revising the care plan and showing greater openness towards the residents. Proactive information, clear intentions and the willingness to develop different plans and projects in a continuous dialogue with locals, can possibly limit the extent of conflicts.

This thesis compares the environmental information systems and the providing of environmental information from the government institutions. The objective of this work is to analyze current information systems under the Integrated environmental information system (JISZP) and verify the hypothesis that all these information systems are integrated. The further goal is to prove whether or not the Act No. 123/1998 is fulfilled in practice. The first part contains an analysis of JISZP systems according to various criteria. The second part maps the legislation of information providing and verifies the compliance with the Law No. 123/1998. The final part contains an evaluation and recommendations for further action.

Swedish companies have invested a lot of time, effort and resources into becoming moreenvironmentally friendly. The primary focus of this on-going process has been to implementenvironmental management systems and to develop more environmentally friendlytechnologies. Measuring the effects of these actions has proven more difficult. Theintroduction of environmental indicators is emerging as a simple, yet effective way forcompanies to measure their environmental performance, increase the control of theirenvironmental activities and help the decision making process when developing new productsand processes. The aim of the project is to study to what extent eight Swedish companies in three differentbranches of industry use environmental indicators, if there are any similarities and differenceswithin and between branches and if any conclusions can be drawn. The companies chosen arethree companies within the pulp- and paper producing industry, three companies within theiron- and steel producing industry and two companies within the car manufacturing industry.The primary method of analysis is to study the environmental report from one factory of eachcompany, the environmental section of the financial report and/or the environmental report ofthe entire company or business group and environmental information on each company’s website. No interviews were conducted with any of the companies, since it was deemed that therewas not enough time if they were to be meaningful. Before the evaluation, the concept of environmental indicators needs further examination. Theindicators are comparative, comparing an environmental quantity to a financial one. Examplesof common indicators are energy use per quantity of produced product or emissions of CO2-equivalents per tonne of produced product. Since the denominator is the same, companieswith significantly different sizes of production can easily be compared to each other. Today itis hard if even possible to compare companies within the same branch to each other and evenharder to compare ones in different branches to each other or to branch indexes. The lack ofcommon guidelines for measuring, processing and presenting the results of environmentalperformance data is the biggest problem when using environmental indicators today. The environmental indicators can be used in a number of different roles. Today they are usedto measure and compare the environmental performance of a company as well as tools forcommunication to various stakeholders. If the companies continue to develop the indicators,they can be used pro-actively in the decision making process as well as to highlight problemareas and to track the progress towards goals set by the company. Some of the companies inthis report are already using indicators in one or more of the advanced roles. All the companies were evaluated in two different ways, qualitatively and quantitatively atthree levels of reporting. The three levels were the environmental report from a single factory,the environmental report for the entire company/business group and the environmentalinformation on the Internet from each company. The qualitative evaluation analysed how the companies used environmental indicators, if thecompanies used them explicitly, if they used them to track goals and if there were differencesbetween the different levels of reporting. The analysis showed that only a few companies usedenvironmental indicators at the single factory level, but that all companies used them in thebusiness group reports and on the Internet. There was also a much higher degree of coherencybetween the companies financial reporting than there was in their environmental one. Thequalitative evaluation also showed that the pulp- and paper companies used the mostenvironmental indicators, the iron- and steel companies used them most effectively and thatthe car companies used them to their fullest extent. The quantitative evaluation analysed each company by itself to examine how each individualcompany used the environmental indicators. The differences between the use of indicators atthe different levels of reporting also became more evident. The pulp- and paper companieswere the most consistent while the iron- and steel companies had the biggest differences withthe car companies somewhere in between. The analysis also showed that companies that werepart of bigger business groups had bigger differences, especially if they were not part of themother company. There are two major conclusions that can be drawn from the report. The first one is thatcompanies use environmental indicators to measure and present their environmentalperformance because they see them as effective tools. The second one is that commonguidelines are necessary to develop the indicators further. The first conclusion can be drawn from the fact that all the companies use environmentalindicators as a tool for reporting their environmental performance in their primary channels ofinformation, the business group reports and on the Internet The second conclusion can be drawn from the fact that even though the companies werechosen because they produced different products, they turned out to have very similar types ofemissions but very different environmental indicators. Since all the companies are verysincere in their efforts to limit their impact, on the environment and the fact that they have allchosen environmental indicators to measure their impact the need for coherency is great forfurther development. It is doubtful that the companies themselves can develop the indicatorson their own which means that the authorities and possibly the branch organisations have towork together to develop common guidelines. The biggest challenges are to decide on thecommon rules of reporting and to put financial values on the environment. If these problemscan be resolved, environmental indicators can be used to their fullest potential in the future. / www.ima,kth.se