The research on human dimensions of global environmental change in Latin America

Abstract

Purpose -Environmental studies have developed slowly within social sciences in Latin America. This paper seeks to assess and systematize the contribution of social sciences in the research on the human dimensions of global environmental change (HDGEC) in the region outlining its state of the art and process of development. Design/methodology/approach -The approach taken is the organization of a manual compilation and systematic review of publications on topics related to the HDGEC in order to investigate major research topics covering the period between 2001 and 2008. Findings -Although it is possible to identify an emergent body of the literature and scholarship in the region, the involvement of Latin American social science in the HDGEC research is still timid and tentative and not yet institutionalized. The evidence from this compilation has shown that this literature is fragmented bringing difficulties for the homogenization of criteria for analysis and assessment. Originality/value -The paper is one of the very few attempts to assess and analyze the research on HDGEC in Latin America through an international perspective. It provides an overview of its development building upon the progress of environmental studies in the region and looks to its challenges ahead in order to call for more involvement of social sciences in these research activities.

Human mobility and environmental degradation: Shaping rural Morocco

“…Human mobility occurs within existing structures and is influenced by the aspirations and capabilities of each individual (de Haas, 2021). The use of the capabilities approach for framing the capabilities and aspirations of quality of life of each individual in a context of environmental degradation allows to better capture the complexities of the decision‐making process that might lead to human mobility (Ferreira Fernandes et al., 2023). The authors consider that adding the capabilities approach to analyse how participants perceive the environmental degradation adds a new dimension to the perception of the impacts, since the analysis allows to include how they affect the different areas of the personal experience of each individual.…”

“…Since the specificities of each context shape the decision‐making process behind the various adaptation responses, including human mobility, this study adopts the capabilities approach to achieve a more profound understanding of the individual agency in that decision‐making process (de Haas, 2021). While this framework is increasingly being applied in studies of environmentally induced mobility, in practice in the region, research on this topic does not systematically analyse the decision‐making process (Ferreira Fernandes et al., 2023). The capabilities approach follows a human development approach centred on identifying the opportunities, choices and freedoms to understand what is considered a good quality of life according to each individual.…”

Percepções sobre os riscos das mudanças climáticas no contexto da região semiárida do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

“…Além do aperfeiçoamento nas ciências climáticas, com vistas a produzir modelos climáticos cada vez mais consistentes e diminuir as incertezas, o campo de investigação das dimensões humanas das mudanças climáticas globais emerge como uma proposta interdisciplinar de análise para desenvolver e aplicar modelos teórico-conceituais entre temas transversais e intrínsecos ao debate das mudanças climáticas, como, por exemplo, as abordagens sobre vulnerabilidades, riscos e capacidade adaptativa (Marandola Jr. & Hogan, 2006;Martins & Ferreira, 2010, 2011.…”

Governando as mudanças climáticas no nível local

“…Na América Latina, essas pesquisas ainda não se institucionalizaram como um campo de pesquisa, embora diversas áreas de conhecimento explorem as dimensões humanas dessas mudanças (Dias et al, 2007;Dias et al, 2009;Martins e Ferreira, 2010a;Postigo, 2013). A partir dessa perspectiva e conforme discutido anteriormente, há muitas variáveis a serem estudadas e conhecidas no âmbito dessa questão.…”