Densidade técnica e especialização regional produtiva: as dinâmicas de produção de celulose no Vale do Paraíba Paulista

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Historiografia da inserção do Brasil no regime internacional de acumulação nas eras FHC e Lula: do regional ao multilateral

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Políticas de desenvolvimento regional-territorial e governança: uma análise recente sobre o Estado do Maranhão (Brasil)

Pós-graduação em Geografia - IGCE

Global Change and Sustainable Development: A Synthesis of Regional Experiences from Research Partnerships

Humankind today is challenged by numerous threats brought about by the speed and scope of global change dynamics. A concerted and informed approach to solutions is needed to face the severity and magnitude of current development problems. Generating shared knowledge is a key to addressing global challenges. This requires developing the ability to cross multiple borders wherever radically different understandings of issues such as health and environmental sanitation, governance and conflict, livelihood options and globalisation, and natural resources and development exist. Global Change and Sustainable Development presents 36 peer-reviewed articles written by interdisciplinary teams of authors who reflected on results of development-oriented research conducted from 2001 to 2008. Scientific activities were – and continue to be – carried out in partnerships involving people and institutions in the global North, South and East, guided by principles of sustainability. The articles seek to inform solutions for mitigating, or adapting to, the negative impacts of global dynamics in the social, political, ecological, institutional and economic spheres.

Establishment of Regional Herbarium Leads to More Than 200 New Flora Atlas Records for New York State

Loss of small herbaria is an unfortunate global trend, and initiation of new collections at small academic institutions is an increasingly rare occurrence. In 2006, a new herbarium was established at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh. The PLAT herbarium has since grown to more than 7,000 specimens, many of them representative of the flora of northeastern New York (especially Clinton County). Previous to 2006, this region was without a recognized herbarium, the nearest in-state collections being more than 150 miles away. Although botanists have previously worked in the region, relatively few plant species were recorded for Clinton County by the New York Flora Atlas – a resource providing species distribution records based on specimens accessioned in herbarium collections. Given the dearth of available distribution data for Clinton County (including the eastern Adirondack Mountains and the western Lake Champlain valley), this project sought to provide records of previously unreported species by comparing NY Flora Atlas maps with current holdings. 203 species will now be added to the NY Flora Atlas for Clinton County, roughly half of those considered exotic. This exercise has amplified the importance of supporting and maintaining small regional herbaria as repositories of valuable biodiversity information. Likewise, this project also highlights the enduring value of training in floristics and taxonomy.

INTERNAL AUDIT AND GROWTH OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

The ONATRACOM was established by the law number 08/2007 of 03/02/2007 determining the responsibilities, organization and functioning of Rwanda Public Transport Authority with function of promoting public transportation between Rwanda and other countries; participating in the implementation of the public transportation policy of Ministry in charge of transportation; perform any other activity that is directly or indirectly related to its objectives; and establish relations and collaborate with other regional and international agencies with similar attributions. In the recent days many public institutions have been listed by general auditor for being mismanaged and are on the course of deficit. This study aimed at examining internal audit growth of public institutions, case study of ONATRACOM – Rwanda. This research was conducted as a case study using ONATRACOM in NYARUGENGE District. The study was built at four specific objectives which are to determine if internal audit lead to the business growth of ONATRACOM, to find out if achieving internal audit increases the net profit and sales of ONATRACOM, to explore if there is internal sources of funds for pursuing growth opportunities in ONATRACOM, to assess whether ONATRACOM is able to obtain external sources of funds for pursuing growth opportunities as a result of internal audit impact or not. The findings were got from 27 respondents as the sample from the total target population of 96. Questionnaire was used as the technique to obtain primary data, while secondary data were obtained through examining the existing literature about the study. Chapter four presents the finding in form of descriptive statistical tables starting with the profile of the respondent and findings in line with the research objectives, It was found out that ONATRACOM was failure in its services because it was not achieve its targeted objectives and in this company, the internal audit was not effective in order to make performance of that company.

Governance and the Capacity to Manage Resilience in Regional Social-Ecological Systems

The sustainability of regional development can be usefully explored through several different lenses. In situations in which uncertainties and change are key features of the ecological landscape and social organization, critical factors for sustainability are resilience, the capacity to cope and adapt, and the conservation of sources of innovation and renewal. However, interventions in social-ecological systems with the aim of altering resilience immediately confront issues of governance. Who decides what should be made resilient to what? For whom is resilience to be managed, and for what purpose? In this paper we draw on the insights from a diverse set of case studies from around the world in which members of the Resilience Alliance have observed or engaged with sustainability problems at regional scales. Our central question is: How do certain attributes of governance function in society to enhance the capacity to manage resilience? Three specific propositions were explored: ( 1) participation builds trust, and deliberation leads to the shared understanding needed to mobilize and self-organize; ( 2) polycentric and multilayered institutions improve the fit between knowledge, action, and social-ecological contexts in ways that allow societies to respond more adaptively at appropriate levels; and ( 3) accountable authorities that also pursue just distributions of benefits and involuntary risks enhance the adaptive capacity of vulnerable groups and society as a whole. Some support was found for parts of all three propositions. In exploring the sustainability of regional social-ecological systems, we are usually faced with a set of ecosystem goods and services that interact with a collection of users with different technologies, interests, and levels of power. In this situation in our roles as analysts, facilitators, change agents, or stakeholders, we not only need to ask: The resilience of what, to what? We must also ask: For whom?

Digital Data Collection and Processing in Field and Lab: The Approach of Kinneret Regional Project

The paper showcases the field- and lab-documentation system developed for Kinneret Regional Project, an international archaeological expedition to the Northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee (Israel) under the auspices of the University of Bern, the University of Helsinki, Leiden University and Wofford College. The core of the data management system is a fully relational, server-based database framework, which also includes time-based and static GIS services, stratigraphic analysis tools and fully indexed document/digital image archives. Data collection in the field is based on mobile, hand-held devices equipped with a custom-tailored stand-alone application. Comprehensive three-dimensional documentation of all finds and findings is achieved by means of total stations and/or high-precision GPS devices. All archaeological information retrieved in the field – including tachymetric data – is synched with the core system on the fly and thus immediately available for further processing in the field lab (within the local network) or for post-excavation analysis at remote institutions (via the WWW). Besides a short demonstration of the main functionalities, the paper also presents some of the key technologies used and illustrates usability aspects of the system’s individual components.

Dermatopathology in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic 5-year analysis of all histopathological diagnoses from the Regional Dermatology Training Centre (RDTC) in Moshi, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND Proper diagnosis of skin diseases relies on dermatopathology, the most important diagnostic technique in dermatology. Unfortunately, there are few dermatopathology institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, where little is known about the spectrum of histopathological features observed. OBJECTIVES To investigate the spectrum of dermatopathological diagnoses made in a sub-Saharan African reference centre of a large, mainly rural area. PATIENTS/METHODS To retrospectively evaluate all dermatopathological diagnoses made over a period of 5 years at the Regional Dermatology Training Centre (RDTC) in Moshi, Tanzania. RESULTS There were a total of 1554 skin biopsy specimens. In 45% of cases, there were inflammatory diseases, most frequently lichenoid conditions. Cutaneous neoplasms represented 30.4% of all diagnoses, with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and, less frequently, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) being the two most common neoplastic conditions. The latter also reflected the intensive management of persons with albinism in the RDTC. The distribution of histological diagnoses seemed to correlate with the overall clinical spectrum of cutaneous diseases managed in the RDTC. CONCLUSIONS In this African study inflammatory conditions are the main burden of skin diseases leading to a diagnostic biopsy. Our findings provide further evidence that KS, primarily related to the high prevalence of HIV infection is an epidemiological problem. Both SCC and basal cell carcinoma represent another relatively common malignant cutaneous neoplasms, reflecting the presence of specific populations at risk. The challenging spectrum of histological diagnoses observed in this specific African setting with basic working conditions shows that development of laboratory services of good standards and specific training in dermatopathology are urgently needed.

Institutions for sustainable governance of forests: Equity, robustness and cross-level interactions in Mawlyngbna, Meghalaya, India

This study adopts Ostrom’s Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework in empirical fieldwork to explain how local forestry institutions affect forest ecosystems and social equity in the community of Mawlyngbna in North-East India. Data was collected through 26 semi-structured interviews, participatory timeline development, policy documents, direct observation, periodicals, transect walks, and a concurrent forest-ecological study in the village. Results show that Mawlyngbna's forests provide important sources of livelihood benefits for the villagers. However, ecological disturbance and diversity varies among the different forest ownership types and forest-based livelihood benefits are inequitably distributed. Based on a bounded rationality approach, our analysis proposes a set of causal mechanisms that trace these observed social-ecological outcomes to the attributes of the resource system, resource units, actors and governance system. We analyse opportunities and constraints of interactions between the village, regional, and state levels. We discuss how Ostrom’s design principles for community-based resource governance inform the explanation of robustness but have a blind spot in explaining social equity. We report experiences made using the SES framework in empirical fieldwork. We conclude that mapping cross-level interactions in the SES framework needs conceptual refinement and that explaining social equity of forest governance needs theoretical advances.

Shaping Institutions for Natural Resource Management

This InfoResources Focus tries to clarify challenges people face when shaping institutions for sustainable NRM and discusses key elements for implementing processes of institutional change. Emphasis is put on local institutions embedded in national, regional and global institutional schemes.

Governance and the Capacity to Manage Resilience in Regional Social-Ecological Systems

The sustainability of regional development can be usefully explored through several different lenses. In situations in which uncertainties and change are key features of the ecological landscape and social organization, critical factors for sustainability are resilience, the capacity to cope and adapt, and the conservation of sources of innovation and renewal. However, interventions in social-ecological systems with the aim of altering resilience immediately confront issues of governance. Who decides what should be made resilient to what? For whom is resilience to be managed, and for what purpose? In this paper we draw on the insights from a diverse set of case studies from around the world in which members of the Resilience Alliance have observed or engaged with sustainability problems at regional scales. Our central question is: How do certain attributes of governance function in society to enhance the capacity to manage resilience? Three specific propositions were explored: ( 1) participation builds trust, and deliberation leads to the shared understanding needed to mobilize and self-organize; ( 2) polycentric and multilayered institutions improve the fit between knowledge, action, and social-ecological contexts in ways that allow societies to respond more adaptively at appropriate levels; and ( 3) accountable authorities that also pursue just distributions of benefits and involuntary risks enhance the adaptive capacity of vulnerable groups and society as a whole. Some support was found for parts of all three propositions. In exploring the sustainability of regional social-ecological systems, we are usually faced with a set of ecosystem goods and services that interact with a collection of users with different technologies, interests, and levels of power. In this situation in our roles as analysts, facilitators, change agents, or stakeholders, we not only need to ask: The resilience of what, to what? We must also ask: For whom?

Nacional/regional/transnacional : La diáspora catalana y el universo de la ayuda humanitaria desde la Guerra Civil española al final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial

Este artículo se propone interrogar las relaciones entre comunidad diaspórica catalana del Cono Sur y prácticas regionales solidarias, enfatizando aquellos proyectos e iniciativas que se articularon a ambos lados de la cordillera es pos de la ayuda hacia los desplazados (primero los desplazados al interior de la península durante la Guerra Civil, luego los desplazados a Francia tras la "retirada" y por último los evacuados desde el país galo hacia América Latina). Asimismo, intenta pensar desde un conjunto de trayectorias individuales y grupales de destierro que tuvieron como destinos a Chile y la Argentina, en qué medida estos países de recepción operaron, para esos sujetos y también para las instituciones (oficiales o societales catalanas) generadoras del auxilio, como un espacio poroso de tránsitos, de relaciones fluidas, de intercambio de información y de proyectos comunes, cimentado en complejas redes familiares, político-partidarias, profesionales e ideológicas, transfronterizas y también transnacionales