Abstract
This chapter examines the role of popular participation in environmental policy-making in Brazil It focuses on the Cubatao Pollution Control Project (CPCP), successfully implemented by Cetesb, a state environmental protection agency, to control air, water, and soil industrial pollution in the city of Cubatão, Sao Paulo, one of the most polluted regions in the world. In Cubatao, by responding to community demands and seeking to encourage public participation, policy-makers favoured a style of policy design and implementation fundamentally different from business as usual in Brazil Three aspects of the interaction between popular movements and bureaucrats during the CPCP are relevant to improve the quality of environmental policy-making in Brazil First, through community support, Cetesb was able not only to increase its leverage vis-à-vis the polluting industry but also to promote environmental awareness and public accountability. Second, the ability of popular movements to forge collective identities and frame pollution as a social issue expanded their basis of support and promoted the creation of social capital. Finally, during the implementation of the CPCP, the interaction between technical personnel and social scientists provided both groups not only with a new understanding and appreciation for each other’s expertise but also with an opportunity to re-evaluate their professional roles in policy-making.
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Lemos, M.C.M. (1998). Popular Participation and Pollution Control in Brazil. In: Coenen, F.H.J.M., Huitema, D., O’Toole, L.J. (eds) Participation and the Quality of Environmental Decision Making. Environment & Policy, vol 14. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5330-0_20
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