IMPROVING COASTLINE MANAGEMENT: A TOOL FOR EFFECTIVENESS GAIN IN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES APPLICATION

Abstract

Even though there is a clear attempt to introduce the environmental conservation agenda into landmanagement policies, this trend is still in its infancy. This is mainly due to considerable challenges in matchingeconomic development and environmental protection, which often times have conflicting goals. Such challengesare even more significant in the context of the Brazilian coastline, where colonization started. Since then, thecoastline in Brazil has been the target of intense impacts related to human activities which has been depletingits natural environment significantly over the years. This work aims at helping understand the core of afederal coastline management policy (PROJETO ORLA) as a way to bring together urban and environmentalplanning. We pay specific attention to the projectâs impact at the county-level, more specifically on definingincentives for sustainable economic activity. Our observations point to a clear overlap between legal issuesand public responsibilities as well as lack of coordinated and systemic effort on the part of the responsiblegovernment agencies and organizations. These uncoordinated, duplicated, and sometimes conflicting effortscause the dilution of already scarce resources and funding, rendering ineffective preventive and punitiveactions from the public sector. Through a case study taking place in the Armação dos Buzios County in Rio deJaneiro, this work aims at improving Coastline Management, in particular at the county local level.