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This study evaluated the environmental conditions of two watersheds selected on the basis of similarities in land use. The environmental conditions of the watersheds were analyzed using two geoprocessing methods and in situ evaluations by applying the rapid assessment protocol (RAP). Geospatial image processing was used to analyze land use, slope, soil classification, and rainfall, while RAP was used to evaluate the connectivity and size of riparian corridors. The results revealed varied uses of land with the landscape matrix in both watersheds, composed of agriculture, pasture, and urban centers. Urban centers were defined as spots and riparian zones as corridors. The analysis of environmental fragility considering all the geospatial variables, classified both watersheds as having medium fragility. The most fragile sites were the urban centers, which had a high slope and degraded riparian zone. Onsite assessments have shown that corridors do not have the size required by legislation; they are fragmented and unstructured, and they contain exotic species. We also propose that a multi-factorial approach be used to evaluate watersheds, associating geospatial assessments and onsite analyses that consider the limitations pointed out in each protocol. This reduces sampling errors and shows the actual state of conservation in riparian zones.

Abstract. Regional land carbon budgets provide insights on the spatial distribution of the land uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and can be used to evaluate carbon cycle models and to define baselines for land-based additional mitigation efforts. The scientific community has been involved in providing observation-based estimates of regional carbon budgets either by downscaling atmospheric CO2 observations into surface fluxes with atmospheric inversions, by using inventories of carbon stock changes in terrestrial ecosystems, by upscaling local field observations such as flux towers with gridded climate and remote sensing fields or by integrating data-driven or process-oriented terrestrial carbon cycle models. The first coordinated attempt to collect regional carbon budgets for nine regions covering the entire globe in the RECCAP-1 project has delivered estimates for the decade 2000–2009, but these budgets were not comparable between regions, due to different definitions and component fluxes reported or omitted. The recent recognition of lateral fluxes of carbon by human activities and rivers, that connect CO2 uptake in one area with its release in another also requires better definition and protocols to reach harmonized regional budgets that can be summed up to the globe and compared with the atmospheric CO2 growth rate and inversion results. In this study, for the international initiative RECCAP-2 coordinated by the Global Carbon Project, which aims as an update of regional carbon budgets over the last two decades based on observations, for 10 regions covering the globe, with a better harmonization that the precursor project, we provide recommendations for using atmospheric inversions results to match bottom-up carbon accounting and models, and we define the different component fluxes of the net land atmosphere carbon exchange that should be reported by each research group in charge of each region. Special attention is given to lateral fluxes, inland water fluxes and land use fluxes.

This paper examines potential changes in solid waste policies for the reduction in GHG for the country of Brazil and one of its major states and cities, Rio de Janeiro, from 2005 to 2030. To examine these policy options, trends in solid waste quantities and associated GHG emissions are derived. Three alternative policy scenarios are evaluated in terms of effectiveness, technology, and economics and conclusions posited regarding optimal strategies for Brazil to implement. These scenarios are been building on the guidelines for national inventories of GHG emissions (IPCC, 2006) and adapted to Brazilian states and municipalities' boundaries. Based on the results, it is possible to say that the potential revenue from products of solid waste management is more than sufficient to transform the current scenario in this country into one of financial and environmental gains, where the negative impacts of climate change have created a huge opportunity to expand infrastructure for waste management.

In this study, we categorize the perceptions regarding the benefits and the barriers of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in rural areas. We collected the data through a questionnaire, answered by 116 Brazilian farmers. These respondents have farms located in the state of Minas Gerais, which is the Brazilian state with the large installed potency for PV energy. On one hand, the main results indicate that few farmers of the sample already use solar energy at their rural properties; respondents consider environmental issues and cost saving as the main benefits related to solar energy. On the other hand, the majority of the respondents informed that they intend to use PV systems in the future.

La procédure d'analyse décisionnelle multicritères (MCDA) a été utilisée pour comparer les options de gestion des déchets pour les boues d'usine de pâte kraft après leur digestion anaérobie. La digestion anaérobie des boues est avantageuse car elle produit du biogaz qui peut être utilisé pour produire de l'électricité, de la chaleur et des biocarburants. Cependant, une gestion adéquate des boues digérées est essentielle. L'élimination en décharge est une alternative de gestion des déchets non durable. Les boues digérées de l'usine de pâte kraft appliquées sur le sol peuvent présenter des risques pour l'environnement et la santé publique si les boues n'ont pas été correctement traitées. Cette étude vise à comparer plusieurs alternatives de recyclage pour les boues digérées de manière anaérobie provenant des usines de pâte kraft : épandage, mise en décharge, compostage, incinération, pyrolyse/gazéification et production de biocarburant par les algues. La procédure MCDA a pris en compte neuf critères dans trois domaines pour comparer les alternatives de recyclage des boues digérées dans une usine de pâte kraft : environnemental (émission de CO2, exposition aux agents pathogènes, risque de pollution, récupération des matériaux et de l'énergie), économique (coûts globaux, valeur des produits) et technique (maintenance et exploitation, faisabilité de la mise en œuvre). Les options de gestion les plus appropriées pour les boues digérées provenant des usines de pâte kraft se sont avérées être le compostage et l'incinération (lorsque cette dernière était associée au recyclage des cendres vers l'industrie du ciment). L'élimination en décharge était la pire option, présentant de faibles performances en termes de faisabilité de mise en œuvre, de risque de pollution, de récupération de matériaux et d'énergie. Se utilizó el procedimiento de análisis de decisión multicriterio (MCDA) para comparar las opciones de gestión de residuos para el lodo de la fábrica de pulpa kraft después de su digestión anaeróbica. La digestión anaeróbica de los lodos es ventajosa porque produce biogás que puede utilizarse para generar electricidad, calor y biocombustibles. Sin embargo, es esencial una gestión adecuada de los lodos digeridos. La eliminación en vertederos es una alternativa de gestión de residuos no sostenible. Los lodos digeridos de la fábrica de pulpa Kraft aplicados a la tierra pueden representar riesgos para el medio ambiente y la salud pública si los lodos no han sido tratados adecuadamente. Este estudio tiene como objetivo comparar varias alternativas de reciclaje para los lodos digeridos anaeróbicamente de las fábricas de pulpa kraft: aplicación a la tierra, eliminación en vertederos, compostaje, incineración, pirólisis/gasificación y producción de biocombustibles por algas. El procedimiento MCDA consideró nueve criterios en tres dominios para comparar las alternativas de reciclaje de lodos digeridos en una fábrica de pulpa kraft: ambiental (emisión de CO2, exposición a patógenos, riesgo de contaminación, recuperación de materiales y energía), económica (costos generales, valor de los productos) y técnica (mantenimiento y operación, viabilidad de implementación). Se descubrió que las opciones de gestión más adecuadas para los lodos digeridos de las fábricas de pulpa kraft eran el compostaje y la incineración (cuando esta última se combinaba con el reciclaje de cenizas a la industria del cemento). La eliminación en vertedero fue la peor opción, presentando bajo desempeño en factibilidad de implementación, riesgo de contaminación, recuperación de materiales y energía. The Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) procedure was used to compare waste management options for kraft pulp mill sludge following its anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion of sludge is advantageous because it produces biogas that may be used to generate electricity, heat and biofuels. However, adequate management of the digested sludge is essential. Landfill disposal is a non-sustainable waste management alternative. Kraft pulp mill digested sludge applied to land may pose risks to the environment and public health if the sludge has not been properly treated. This study is aimed to compare several recycling alternatives for anaerobically digested sludge from kraft pulp mills: land application, landfill disposal, composting, incineration, pyrolysis/gasification, and biofuel production by algae. The MCDA procedure considered nine criteria into three domains to compare digested sludge recycling alternatives in a kraft pulp mill: environmental (CO2 emission, exposure to pathogens, risk of pollution, material and energy recovery), economic (overall costs, value of products) and technical (maintenance and operation, feasibility of implementation). The most suitable management options for digested sludge from kraft pulp mills were found to be composting and incineration (when the latter was coupled with recycling ash to the cement industry). Landfill disposal was the worst option, presenting low performance in feasibility of implementation, risk of pollution, material and energy recovery. تم استخدام إجراء تحليل القرار متعدد المعايير (MCDA) لمقارنة خيارات إدارة النفايات لحمأة مطحنة لب الكرافت بعد هضمها اللاهوائي. الهضم اللاهوائي للحمأة مفيد لأنه ينتج الغاز الحيوي الذي يمكن استخدامه لتوليد الكهرباء والحرارة والوقود الحيوي. ومع ذلك، فإن الإدارة الكافية للحمأة المهضومة أمر ضروري. التخلص من النفايات في مدافن النفايات هو بديل غير مستدام لإدارة النفايات. قد تشكل الحمأة المهضومة في مطحنة لب كرافت المطروحة على الأرض مخاطر على البيئة والصحة العامة إذا لم تتم معالجة الحمأة بشكل صحيح. تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى مقارنة العديد من بدائل إعادة التدوير للحمأة المهضومة لاهوائياً من مصانع لب الكرافت: استخدام الأراضي، والتخلص من مدافن النفايات، والتسميد، والحرق، والتحلل الحراري/التغويز، وإنتاج الوقود الحيوي بواسطة الطحالب. نظر إجراء MCDA في تسعة معايير في ثلاثة مجالات لمقارنة بدائل إعادة تدوير الحمأة المهضومة في مطحنة لب الكرافت: البيئية (انبعاثات ثاني أكسيد الكربون، والتعرض لمسببات الأمراض، ومخاطر التلوث، واستعادة المواد والطاقة)، والاقتصادية (التكاليف الإجمالية، وقيمة المنتجات) والتقنية (الصيانة والتشغيل، وجدوى التنفيذ). تم العثور على أنسب خيارات الإدارة للحمأة المهضومة من مصانع لب الكرافت هي التسميد والحرق (عندما كان هذا الأخير مقترنًا برماد إعادة التدوير في صناعة الأسمنت). كان التخلص من النفايات هو الخيار الأسوأ، مما أدى إلى انخفاض الأداء في جدوى التنفيذ، ومخاطر التلوث، واستعادة المواد والطاقة.

The main purpose of this article is to present an overview of the applications of sustainable practices in logistic operations performed by Brazilian companies. To reach this objective, the following steps were carried out: (1) a review of the literature on logistics systems and sustainability in logistics activities; (2) the collection of sustainability reports published by companies that perform logistics operations, which are recognized in Brazil; (3) a content analysis of the reports collected and (4) a discussion of the results, cross-checked with the literature and the extrapolation of conclusions. It was possible to identify 22 sustainable practices, and these practices were grouped into five macro areas. The authors of this paper believe that the findings presented here can be useful for professionals and researchers in the implementation of sustainability practices in logistics systems.

The marine environment has been in the spotlight of economic development due to the growing demand for areas to promote activities associated with the concept of Blue Economy. This is the case of the renewable energy and aquaculture sectors, whose expansion towards offshore is determined by the increase global demand for energy and food, and by exceeding of the carrying capacity of coastal and terrestrial systems. In this context, the multi-use strategy can be an alternative to minimize conflicts between activities and impacts on the surrounding social-ecological environment. This contribution presents a preliminary approach to identify opportunities for individual exploitation and the possibilities of multi-use between wind energy, wave energy and aquaculture in Brazil?s Exclusive Economic Zone. Technical, operational, and biological aspects were evaluated, through a Suitability Index validated in previous works, to identify zones with favorable conditions for energy exploitation and farming of six fish species. Additionally, overlaps between conservation areas and multi-use zones were considered to analyze possible spatial conflicts. Zones with multi-use possibilities with different combinations between these sectors were identified: i) wave energy and aquaculture presented the largest areas for multi-use, distributed in the south, southeast and northeast; ii) possibility of combining wind energy and aquaculture was identified in the northeast; and iii) multi-use possibilities in the south for marine energies. Zones with multi-use possibilities were identified in protection and conservation areas, such as the combination of wave exploitation and Greater Amberjack farming, with 63% overlap. Therefore, this case study is a guide for future local studies in the marine region of Brazil, mainly in the selection of sites for analysis. The present contribution represents a starting point for the discussion about multi-use in the country C.V.C. Weiss is grateful to the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for the PDJ (Pós-doutorado Junior) fellowship granted (151228/2020–5), and the financial support from the Universidad de Cantabria (UC) through the Agusto González de Linares and Margarita Salas Grants (POS-UC-2019-06 and RMS-04, respectively). J. Bonetti is a Research Fellow of CNPq (Grant 306633/2019–1). Raúl Guanche acknowledges the Grant RYC-2017-23260 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ESF Investing in your future”. This work is framed in the project “ACUFLOT”, supported by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge Ministry of Spain and the IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria