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Metropolitan Environmental Health: Asymmetrical Knowledge and Management in São Paulo, Brazil

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Urban Environment

Abstract

Metropolitan areas have been seen as empty political arenas even though there is a renewed interest in discussing the need for their integrated management. In this context environmental and health issues have come into the spotlight, as political and administrative fragmentation does not assist in dealing with the spread of different pollutants which do not adhere to administrative, or even natural boundaries. This paper aims to explore the São Paulo Metropolitan Region (SPMR), Brazil, encompassing 39 municipalities, taking into account an unequal distribution of knowledge and administrative efforts in addressing environmental health issues. The study was conducted by using secondary indicators provided by public institutions and by undertaking a bibliographical review. São Paulo municipality, as the capital city, concentrates demands for environmental services as well as the need for pollution dispersion, both of which cross municipal boundaries. There is greater concentration of knowledge about the São Paulo municipality, for example the main research effort towards understanding the health impacts of air pollution focuses on its spatial limits. It also centralizes public policies to control atmospheric emissions but these cannot solve the larger, regional problem. In relation to public water supply there is a clear distinction between municipalities that have a greater demand for water and those that produce it, since the latter often present inferior economic and social conditions. This situation reveals extremely asymmetrical relations within the metropolitan space and points to the need to use strategic indicators to induce actions involving health, environment and other public administrative sectors.

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Abbreviations

IBGE:

Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics

EMPLASA:

Empresa Paulistana de Planejamento—São Paulo Metropolitan Planning

CETESB:

São Paulo State Environmental Agency

SEADE:

São Paulo State Foundation for Data Analysis

SIGAM:

Integrated System of Environmental Management, Environment Department, State of São Paulo

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Acknowledgements

FAPESP—Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (proc.n.2010/20899-0); and INCLINE—Interdisciplinary Climate Investigation Center/ Universidade de São Paulo.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo 715, 01246-904, São Paulo, Brazil

    Leandro Luiz Giatti, Silvana Audra Cutolo, Giuliana Carolina Talamini, Juliane Gaviolli, Amanda Silveira Carbone & Rubens Landin

  2. Departamento Prática de Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Saúde Pública—Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Paulo Roberto do Nascimento

  3. Faculdade de Educação, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Renata Ferraz de Toledo

  4. Centro de Estudos de Saúde do Trabalhador e Ecologia Humana, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Carlos Machado de Freitas

Authors
  1. Leandro Luiz Giatti
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  2. Paulo Roberto do Nascimento
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  3. Silvana Audra Cutolo
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  4. Renata Ferraz de Toledo
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  5. Giuliana Carolina Talamini
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  6. Juliane Gaviolli
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  7. Amanda Silveira Carbone
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  8. Rubens Landin
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  9. Carlos Machado de Freitas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leandro Luiz Giatti .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Civil and Env. Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Sébastien Rauch

  2. Dept of Civil and Env. Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Gregory Morrison

  3. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Stefan Norra

  4. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Nina Schleicher

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Giatti, L. et al. (2013). Metropolitan Environmental Health: Asymmetrical Knowledge and Management in São Paulo, Brazil. In: Rauch, S., Morrison, G., Norra, S., Schleicher, N. (eds) Urban Environment. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7756-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7756-9_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-007-7755-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-7756-9

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