La sostenibilidad, cualidad de lo sostenible, hace referencia a un proceso que puede alargarse en el tiempo. Cuando este proceso lo referimos a cuestiones socio-ecológicas, comprobamos cómo, desde hace ya largo tiempo, no son pocas las voces acreditadas que han puesto sobre aviso del progresivo deterioro ecológico y sus consecuencias perjudiciales para la vida humana. Nuestra obra parte de estas negatividades para repensar la idea de sostenibilidad en sus justos términos, y así dar cabida a una variedad de aportaciones que ayuden a restituimos dentro de los límites ecosistémicos.
Constitutions can play a central role in responding to environmental challenges, such as pollution, biodiversity loss, lack of drinking water, and climate change. The vast majority of people on earth live under constitutional systems that protect the environment or recognize environmental rights. Such environmental constitutionalism, however, falls short without effective implementation by policymakers, advocates and jurists. Implementing Environmental Constitutionalism: Current Global Challenges explains and explores this 'implementation gap'. This collection is both broad and deep. While some of the essays analyze crosscutting themes, such as climate change and the need for rule of law that affect the implementation of environmental constitutionalism throughout the world, others delve deeply into geographically contextual experiences for lessons about how constitutional environmental law might be more effectively implemented. This volume informs global conversations about whether and how environmental constitutionalism can be made more effective to protect the natural environment.
In Colombia, decades of social and armed conflict and the US-led war on drugs have created a seemingly untenable situation for scientists and rural communities as they attempt to care for forests and grow non-illicit crops. In Vital Decomposition Kristina M. Lyons presents an ethnography of human-soil relations. She follows state soil scientists and peasants across labs, greenhouses, forests, and farms and attends to the struggles and collaborations between farmers, agrarian movements, state officials, and scientists over the meanings of peace, productivity, rural development, and sustainability in Colombia. In particular, Lyons examines the practices and philosophies of rural farmers who value the decomposing layers of leaves, which make the soils that sustain life in the Amazon, and shows how the study and stewardship of the soil point to alternative frameworks for living and dying. In outlining the life-making processes that compose and decompose into soil, Lyons theorizes how life can thrive in the face of the violence, criminalization, and poisoning produced by militarized, growth-oriented development.
Los últimos años de diálogos y acuerdos de paz han sido un reto para la construcción de democracia, país y perspectiva de una paz estable y duradera, donde la materialización de los derechos de los asociados sea el horizonte de actuación estatal y social, a favor de los que menos pueden y tienen la capacidad de ser sujetos. Los aportes del Grupo de Investigación en Derechos Colectivos y Ambientales (GIDCA), presentados en este libro que lleva por título Derechos Ambientales, Conflictividad y Paz Ambiental, corresponden a la primera parte del Informe de Investigación 2016-2017 (el libro que recoge la segunda parte es Estándar Ambiental y Derechos Ambientales en posacuerdos de paz: algunos estudios de caso). Estas contribuciones son relevantes, ya que abordan, desde una perspectiva teórica ambiental crítica, las cuestiones jurídico políticas relativas a la crisis ambiental y civilizatoria, así como sus causas y consecuencias sobre ecosistemas y culturas, las cuales se han agudizado en las últimas décadas de hegemonía del capitaloceno, el caos climático y las afectaciones subsiguientes, resultado de las amenazas, el desconocimiento y los atentados a los derechos ambientales. En este ejercicio aún están pendientes múltiples tareas para lograr un cambio de paradigma desde enfoques ambientales críticos, y para llegar a una comprensión amplia y un profundo debate sobre los diversos problemas y conflictos ambientales. La participación ambiental debe irrigar las diferentes instancias estatales, sociales y comunitarias, donde los movimientos y redes por la defensa del ambiente, es decir, de sus ecosistemas y culturas, contribuyan a la pervivencia de la vida humana presente y futura y de otros seres sobre la Tierra. Una comprensión integral y sistémica de los derechos, la política, la sociedad, el Estado y la paz, desde el paradigma ambiental puede contribuir significativamente a ello.
The North American Mosaic has four overarching features. First, it is, to the extent feasible, based on comparable information on the status and trends of major indicators of the state of the environment in Canada,Mexico, and the United States. Second, the report confirms that these three countries together make up an incredibly complex, dynamic, and interconnected ecosystem in which humans play a dominant and decisive role. Third, the report raises important and sometimes disquieting questions concerning the sustainability of some current trends. Finally, the report is a reminder that our economic, social, and physical well-being are utterly dependent on the life-sustaining services provided by nature. This report emphasizes the importance of developing mutually compatible economic, social, and environmental goals and policies across the three-country region.
This is a handbook for policy makers and environmental managers in water authorities and engineering companies engaged in water quality programmes, especially in developing countries. It is also suitable for use as a textbook or as training material for water quality management courses. It is a companion volume to Water Quality Assessment and Water Quality Monitoring.
The expansion of the pulp and paper industry is one of the most important causes of land and water conflicts in the South. This book examines the threat to livelihood, soil and biodiversity generated by large-scale pulpwood plantations in the South.
Human societies are influencing nature in such a way that their independent analysis is no longer suitable. Fortunately, social-ecological systems provide a conceptual framework for the interconnected analysis of societies and ecosystems. However, in the case of Latin America, the complexity of social-ecological processes undermined a much-needed compilation of theoretical concepts, methods and case studies. Increasing readers’ understanding of such systems using a postnormal approach, the book discusses current concepts and methods with examples of studies from eight countries. It is a useful resource for social actors, government decision makers and scholars.
