Tourism for whom?: Different paths to development and alternative experiments in Brazil

The tourism policies pursued by the Brazilian government since the 1990s have not produced the benefits that were expected from mass tourism. The example of two very successful cases of community-based tourism, stressing paths rooted in a development model that is fair and environmentally responsible, shows that tourism development can improve the quality of life in communities that receive an influx of tourists provided that the local community is taken into account and the planning and implementation of such development focus on creating opportunities and benefits for its members. © 2008 Latin American Perpectives.

Social Panorama of Latin America 2004

Includes bibliography

Sustainable development: Latin American and Caribbean perspectives

Includes bibliography

Millennium development goals. 2006 report: a look at gender equality and empowerment of women in Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Social cohesion in Latin America: concepts, frames of reference and Indicators

Includes bibliography

MERCOSUR in transition: macroeconomic perspectives

Includes bibliography

E-commerce and export promotion policies for small- and medium-sized enterprises: East Asian and Latin American experiences

Includes bibliography

Regional integration and the issue of choosing an appropriate exchange-rate regime in Latin America

Includes bibliography

In search of work. International migration of women in Latin America and the Caribbean. Selected bibliography

Includes bibliography

Democratic governance and gender: possible linkages

Includes bibliography

Renewable energy and energy efficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean: constraints and prospects

Includes bibliography

A qualidade ambiental urbana na legislação municipal: exemplo do plano diretor de araçatuba-SP 1

Environmental quality is a fundamental issue in order to characterize quality of life in the cities. The human activities interfere in environmental processes, causing impacts that must be minimized. It is the task of municipal laws to impose theoretic and practical foundations appropriated to the dimension of local problems. In this sense, the goal of this work was to propose a discussion about the recognition of environmental quality in municipal law, especially in the Municipal Master Plan of Araçatuba, city located in the state of São Paulo. It was possible to observe that in many aspects this law is far away from urban reality.

The competitive challenge for Brazilian industry

Includes bibliography

Above- and below-ground biomass and carbon dynamics in Brazilian Cerrado wet grasslands

Questions: Grasslands are usually neglected as potential carbon stocks, partially due to the lack of studies on biomass and carbon dynamics in tropical grasslands. What is the importance of Brazilian tropical wet grasslands as carbon sinks? Does fire frequency and season affect biomass and carbon allocation in Brazilian wet grasslands? Location: Wet grasslands, tropical savanna, Jalapão, Tocantins, northern Brazil. Methods: We determined biomass above- and below-ground, estimated carbon stocks in biennially burned plots (B2) and plots excluded from fire for 4 yr (B4). Moreover, we determined biomass in both rainy and dry seasons. Samples were 0.25 m × 0.25 m × 0.2 m (eight samples per treatment, applying a nested design, total of 48 samples). The biomass was classified in above-ground graminoids, forbs and dead matter, and below-ground roots and other below-ground organs. We used ANOVA to compare variables between treatments and seasons. Results: More than 40% of the total biomass and carbon stocks were located below-ground, mostly in roots. A high proportion of dead biomass (B4) was found in the above-ground material, probably due to low decomposition rates and consequent accumulation over the years. Although these grasslands do not experience water stress, we found significant evidence of resource re-allocation from below-ground organs to the above-ground biomass in the rainy season. Conclusions: We found more dead biomass in the rainy season, probably due to low decomposition rates, which can increase fire risk in these grasslands during the following dry season. These tropical wet grasslands stored high amounts of carbon (621 to 716 g C.m-2), mostly in the roots. Thus, policymakers should consider tropical grasslands as potential carbon stocks, since they are one of the most threatened and unprotected ecosystems in Brazil. © 2012 International Association for Vegetation Science.

Roads towards gender equity in Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography