ID: 2249
Presenting Author: Paula Ciminelli Ramalho
Session: 652 - EA in Latin America: Bridging Infrastructure and Communities for Sustainable Development
Status: pending
An analyses of two insurgent movements in Brazil that exposed the limits of formal EIA participation and demanded more inclusive decision-making, in a context of inequality and asymmetry
Public participation is a core principle of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA); nevertheless, its mechanisms and effectiveness remain contested. Challenging the legitimacy of formal participation spaces, insurgent actions can delay, block, or reshape proposed projects. This paper examines two grassroots movements — Salve o Rio Itapanhaú (Save Itapanhaú River) and Barragem Não (No Dam) — that reacted to environmental licensing processes for water resource projects in a context of scarcity in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We explore how these insurgencies were organized and sought to influence decisions through alternative, informal channels. The methodology combines interviews with movement leaders and EIA actors with the analysis of minutes from public consultations and official approval documents. Findings show that the movements consider formal participation spaces insufficient and criticize the technocratic nature of decision-making. Their mobilization did not overturn established power relations or stop the projects, but it contributed to improving environmental licensing conditions. We argue that the debate on participation in EIA must go beyond conventional mechanisms and build alternatives that effectively incorporate the perspectives of affected communities — especially in contexts marked by inequality and power asymmetry, such as in Brazil.
PhD in Territorial Planning and Management, Assistant Professor in the Environmental Engineering program at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC).