Environmental Impact Assessment Under an Ecosystem Approach: The São Sebastião Harbor Expansion Project

Abstract

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) aims to analyze the environmental viability of projects, but exhibits problems that compromise its quality, such as the fragmented, technocratic and positivist vision. The prediction of environmental impacts can be improved using the ecosystem approach, considering the processes and the ecosystem services affected. The present work applied this approach in the expansion project of the Port of São Sebastião (São Paulo, Brazil), in which the EIA was judicially questioned, based on documental analysis and discussion by specialists. Unlike foreseen in the EIA, the analysis of oceanographic processes showed direct and indirect impacts on ecosystem services and benefits, irreversible and/or of great magnitude. The analysis also allowed an improvement to the comprehension not only on the effects on the environmental components and processes (hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics and biodiversity), but also on human well-being, evidencing the benefits of applying the ecosystem approach in the EIA.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge Supports Ecosystem-Based Management in Disturbed Coastal Marine Social-Ecological Systems

“…The refinery construction was preceded by earthmoving works to gain more area, with voluminous excavations at the base of the mountain range, with the removed sediment used for port construction (Peres et al, 2016). The second phase was finished in 1973, the third phase in 1987, and the fourth phase was concluded in 1988 (Peres et al, 2016;Turra et al, 2017). .…”

“…In order to increase the port's competitiveness, the São Sebastião Port Authority, a division of the Secretary of Logistics and Transports of the São Paulo State, applied in 2004 for an environmental license from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), with the objective to expand the port land reclamation over 82% of Araçá Bay to serve as a container depot (Turra et al, 2017). This project would practically cover all the marine area left in the bay.…”

“…This project would practically cover all the marine area left in the bay. Due to IBAMA recommendations and to public complains, the initial project (land reclamation) was replaced by the idea to build the port over a concrete slab supported by 17,000 piles, reducing the expansion area down to 34% (Turra et al, 2017). In December 2013, IBAMA approved the new project and granted the port authority a license to proceed with the port expansion.…”

Environmental Conflicts at São Paulo Macrometropolis: Paranapiacaba and São Sebastião

“…With the hydrodynamic changes, the areas planned in the environmental Impact Study to function as a navigation channel for these users would most likely be subjected to a gradual silting. Also, the use of space would not allow small boats kept in the bay to be sheltered and could potentially contribute to the end of the activities of traditional fishermen using this space, causing socio-economic and cultural damage (TURRA et al, 2017).…”

Patrimônio geológico e geoconservação: subsídios à gestão do meio natural no litoral paulista

“…Os autores reconheceram a Gestão Baseada em Ecossistemas (GBE) como essencial para a inclusão das informações referentes aos vetores de pressão, principalmente no que concerne à percepção da população em relação à perda destes serviços. Como apontamTurra et al (2017), num estudo sobre a Baía do Araçá, em São Sebastião, a abordagem ecossistêmica pode ser a chave para avaliar as perdas no meio natural devido à ação humana e, ao mesmo tempo, sensibilizar as pessoas a partir das perdas da sociedade pela degradação do meio natural.Neste contexto, ressalta-se a importância de iniciativas como os geoparques e os parques urbanos na preservação dos ecossistemas e dos bens e serviços por eles prestados (Munoz e Freitas 2017, Santos e Bacci 2017,Gabriel et al 2018). Estes locais podem ser agentes da disseminação do conhecimento acerca dos serviços ecossistêmicos, para cujo fim…”