The country keeps the rhythm of economic growth and develops in the main social indicators...

 

The country keeps the rhythm of economic growth and develops in the main social indicators, but social and regional inequalities remain. Despite important improvements in some environment indicators, there is still a long way to go to overcome the ecosystem deterioration, the loss of biodiversity and for the significant improvement of environmental quality in urban centers. In a general way, it is this diagnosis made to Brazil by the 55 Sustainable Development Indicators 2010 (SDI 2010), produced or gathered by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Continuing the series initiated in 2002 (with editions also in 2004 and 2008), the publication aims at, when combining the environmental, social, economic and institutional dimensions, showing the point where Brazil is and towards what point it goes on its way to sustained development. The fourth edition of SDI reveals, thus, important gains, but indicates that there is still a long way ahead for Brazil to reach the ideal pursued in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission): a development that satisfies the necessities of the present without eliminating the possibility for the future generations to satisfy their own necessities. These are some of the highlights of SDI 2010.

 

 

Environmental dimension shows advances, but there is still a lot to be done

 

With 20 indicators, grouped into the topics atmosphere; land; fresh water; oceans; sea and coastal areas; biodiversity and sanitation, the environmental dimension of SDI shows important advances in some areas, stability in others, but there are still major challenges to be overcome on the way to environmental sustainability. See some related indicators below:

 

Spots of land-clearing fires and wildfires fall by 63% between 2007 and 2009

 

Between 2007 and 2009, the number of heat zones, which indicate the occurrence of land-clearing fires and wildfires, fell from 188,656 to 69,702, decreasing by 63%. In conservation units, parks and indigenous land, there was reduction from 21,538 to 6,783, that is, by 68.5%, according to information from INPE (National Institute for Space Research).

 

Among the states, Acre recorded the biggest reduction of heat zones between 2007 and 2009 (-93%, from 702 to 49), followed by Roraima (-85.4%) and Rondônia (-84.2%). The states with biggest increase of heat zones in the same period were Sergipe (121.3%, from 94 to 208), Paraíba (56.6%) and Alagoas (41%). Land-clearing fires are believed to be the cause of most CO₂ emission by Brazil.  

 

Deforestation decreases, but reaches 14.6% of the Legal Amazon

 

 

After a period of almost continuous increase of the annual deforestation rate of the Legal Amazon (Rondônia, Acre, Amazonas, Roraima, Pará, Amapá, Tocantins, Maranhão and Mato Grosso) between 1997 (13,227 km² per year) and 2004 (27,423 km²), when there was a peak, figures have decreased in the last five years, according to data from INPE. Preliminary estimates point to a deforested area of 7,088 km² in 2009, 74.1% smaller than in 2004. However, the total deforested area of the Amazon, which was 8.4% until 1991 (426,400 km²), reached 14.6% (739,928 km²) in 2009.

 

The Amazon Rainforest is the biggest biome predominantly of the forest-type in the Brazilian territory. It encompasses 1/3 of the tropical rainforests on the planet and holds the highest level of biodiversity, the biggest gene bank in the world, besides 1/5 of the world availability of potable water. Together with land-clearing fires, deforestation is the main responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases in Brazil.  

 

Less than 10% of the Atlantic Forest s left and deforestation escalates in the scrubland

 

Between 2005 and 2008, a total 1,028 km² of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered biomes in the world were deforested, and there are only  133,010 km² of remaining area left, less than 10% of the original amount. These data come from the NGO SOS Mata Atlântica (SOS Atlantic Forest).

 

Scrubland, the second biggest biome in Brazil, encompassing savannah areas in the central part of the country, had its vegetation coverage reduced to practically 50%, from 2,038,953 km² to 1,052,708 km², with an overall deforested area of 986,247 km² (48,4%) until 2008, considering that 85,074 km² (4.2% of the total) were destroyed between 2002 and 2008, according to data from the Remote Sensing Center of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Resources (CSR/IBAMA) in partnership with the Ministry of Environment. The percentage of deforested area in this biome surpasses that of the Amazon Forest.

 

Between 2002 and 2008, the states which recorded the biggest absolute figures for deforested areas were Mato Grosso (17,598 km²), Maranhão (14,825 km²) and Tocantins (12,198 km²) and, considering relative figures, Maranhão (7.0%), Bahia (6.1%) and Mato Grosso (4.9%).

 

Deforestation and land-clearing fires lead emission of greenhouse gases

 

From 1990 to 1994, the total net emission of greenhouses gases in Brazil increased in 8.8% (from 1.35 to 1.48 billion metric tons of CO₂ eq¹, whereas, from 2000 to 2005, the increment was 7.3% (from 2.05 to 2.20 billion metric tons), recording deceleration. Considering all the period analyzed (1990 to 2005) emissions increased by almost 40%.

 

Activities related to changes in the use of land and forests – which include deforestation in the Amazon and land-clearing fires in the scrubland – account for up to 57.9% of the total net emission (gross emission minus removals) of greenhouse gases produced by human activity in 2005. It is important to point out that year 2005 was one of the most difficult in terms of the Amazon deforestation and land-clearing fires in Brazil. Agriculture featured in the second position, with 480 million metric tons of CO₂ eq (21%), due to contributions of the use of nitrogen fertilizers and limestone, loss of soil organic matter and emission of methane in crops of wetland rice.  These data come from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

 

The production of energy, which is the first place in terms of emission of greenhouse gases, was in the third position in Brazil, in 2005, representing16% of the total (362 million metric tons of CO₂ eq). That is mainly due to the nature of national energetic matrix, which has significant participation of renewable energy sources, with a predominance of hydroelectric plants and biomass (firewood and fuels).

 

Consumption of substances that cause ozone depletion is still low, in spite of some little increase in the last year of the series

 

The annual apparent consumption (production + imports – exports) of substances that cause ozone depletion in Brazil, which had fallen from 11.20 thousand metric tons of ozone depletion potential in 1992 to 1.43 thousand metric tons in 2006 (reduction of 86%), rose again, slightly, reaching 2.09 thousand metric tons in 2008, according to the Ozone Center of the Ministry of Environment.

 

CFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons, mainly used in refrigerators and air-conditioning appliances, foam, solvents and fire extinguishers) have been, since 2006 on, the most prominent destructive substances, accounting for more than 85% of the industrial consumption in the country in 2008. On the other hand, the consumption of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the main responsible for the destruction of the ozone layer all over the world, keeps falling in the country: in 1992, its consumption represented 9,360 metric tons of ozone depletion potential, but this figure reached 290 metric tons in 2008.

 

Air pollution levels remain stable in big cities, but ozone concentration decreases

 

In most metropolitan areas, the maximum and medium concentrations (acute and chronic pollution) of most air pollutants tended to stability or decline in 2008, in relation to previous years. This result comes mainly from air quality control programs.

 

The decline of concentrations is most significant and visible when it comes to total suspended particles (TSP) and inhalable particles (PM10), although figures of some cities and metropolitan areas are still above the standards of the National Council for the Environment (CONAMA), of 240 and 150 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³) respectively. In the Federal District, the maximum annual concentration of PTS in 2008 was 1,209 mg/m³ (what may reflect local climatic conditions and the occurrence of land-clearing fires in the surroundings of Brasília in the dry season). In Vitória (ES), in 2008, the maximum annual figures for PTS and PM10 reached 717 mg/m³ and 669 mg/m³; respectively. For the same year, in Curitiba, the maximum concentration of PTS reached 589 mg/m³ and, of PM10, 420 mg/m³. Inhalable particles cause and aggravate respiratory diseases, besides carrying toxic gases.

 

Ozone (O₃), differently from other pollutants, remains on an upward trend. The CONAMA standard is 160  mg/m³; among the metropolitan areas with maximum annual concentrations of this gas are Belo Horizonte (300 mg/m³), São Paulo (279 mg/m³) and Rio de Janeiro (233 mg/m³). This pollutant is generated, in the lower atmosphere, by photochemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, both originated from the burning of fossil fuels; the increase of vehicle fleet in major cities makes it difficult to control ozone concentration.

 

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), probably resulting from the burning of fossil fuels, and one of the responsible for acid rain, presented, in 2008, annual maximum concentration above the standard (320 mg/m³) in Curitiba (413 mg/m³).

 

Area of agricultural establishments decreases by 5.6%

 

There was decrease by 19.9 million hectares (5.6%) of the total area of Brazilian agricultural establishments between 1996 e 2006, according to IBGE’s Censuses of Agriculture. Natural pastures decreased by 26%; planted pastures increased by 2.7% and crops increased by 20.9%. The increase of crop areas and pastures planted over areas of natural pastures represent increase of production by unit of area, which reduces pressure on the soil, but, on the other hand, leads to the increase of pesticide use and of environmental contamination.

 

Brazil is a highlight in the world as the biggest consumer of pesticides, accounting, in Latin America, for 86% of the products. In 2005, the main consumer of pesticides were the states of São Paulo (54,916.8 t), Mato Grosso (32,112.5 t), and Paraná (25,810.0 t); the states with the lowest consumption levels were Acre (40.4 t), Amazonas (31.6 t) and Amapá (4.6 t).

 

In relation to fertilizers, the ranking by state is similar: in 2008, the ones with the biggest amount of fertilizers delivered to the final consumer were Mato Grosso (1,507;072 t), São Paulo (1,376.770 t) and Paraná (1,364.830 t), and the ones with the smallest amount were Acre (1,438 t), Amazonas (2,323 t) and Amapá (2,898 t).

 

Federal conservation units occupy 9% of the territory

 

In order to protect biodiversity, Brazil makes more than 750,000 km² available to federal conservation units, approximately 9% of the national territory. State and municipal conservation units encompass, except for environmental protection areas, an extension of land of 422,000 km² and 35,000 km², respectively.

 

Among the Brazilian biomes, Amazon holds the biggest protected area, with almost 17% of the total in federal conservation units, being 7.9% in those of full protection. Amazon also has the biggest conservation units in extension. The caatingas (areas covered with brushwood), the pampas (grassy plains areas), the Atlantic Forest and Pantanal have about or less than 1% of protected areas in federal full protection units. Considering scrubland, this figure is 2.2%. The protected area of all biomes, except for the Amazon, is below world average, that is, 5%.

 

Social dimension:  indicators are better, but inequality remains

 

The 19 social indicators correspond to objectives related to the satisfaction of human needs, improvement of the quality of life and social justice. They encompass topics such as population; labor and income; health; education; housing and security. The data compiled by SDI 2010 reveal improvement in the overall life conditions of the population, although social liabilities have yet to be surpassed in the search for social sustainability. Social, regional and interstate inequalities remain. Brazil has shown more advances in the reduction of gender inequality than in color or race inequality in terms of income and education indicators. See the main highlights below.

 

With sub-replacement fertility levels, population growth decreases

 

There has been decrease of mortality and fertility rates in Brazil. As the reduction of fertility rates is bigger, the average rate of annual population growth in Brazil has decreased by 43.3% in the last two decades, having fallen from 2.89% (between 1950 and 1960 and 2000). Starting in 2006, overall fertility rate (average number of live children a woman would have had by the end of her reproductive period) began to record sub-replacement fertility figures (2.0 children per woman). In 2008, the highest rates were above the Brazilian average (1.89) in the North (2.37) and Northeast (2.12), and lowest in the Southeast (1.63), South (1.88) and Central West (1.91).

 

Labor and income in Brazil show advances; but significant social inequalities remain

 

Among advances observed in labor and income are the reduction of the average annual unemployment rate (PME – Monthly Employment Survey), the increase of the average monthly income   (PNAD – National Household Sample Survey) and the reduction of income concentration, measured by the Gini Index² (0.531 in 2008). Even so, inequality in income distribution, expressed Gini Index is high. Regional inequalities remain in all the indicators related to this field.

 

Decrease of infant mortality and increase of life expectancy reflect overall improvement of the population’s life conditions

 

The wide coverage of vaccination for diseases such as poliomyelitis and tuberculosis, besides the reduction by approximately 75% of the number of children aged up to 5 years old suffering from malnutrition, and the improvement of women’s educational level, shown in SDI 2010, were some of the factors leading to reduction of 50% of infant mortality (children less than 1 year of age) between 1990 and 2008, from 47 for one thousand born alive to 23.3 for one thousand. The rate, however, is not yet considered low according to patterns of the WHO – World Health Organization – OMS - (less than 20 for one thousand children born alive).

 

Besides, there is inequality among the Regions; the Northeast and North present rates above the national average, 34.4 and 24.2 for one thousand, respectively, and the other Major Regions have rates below the average - 20 for one thousand. Among the states, Rio Grande do Sul (13.1) had the lowest rate in the country and Alagoas (48.2), the highest. In 2008, for the first time, none of the Brazilian states recorded infant mortality rates above 50 thousand children per one thousand live births, considered high by the WHO.

 

The reduction of child mortality has contributed to the increase of life expectancy at birth, which changed from 67.3 years in 1992 to 73 years in 2008. In the Northeast Region, it was 70.1 years, reaching only 67.2 years in Alagoas. In the South, it was 75.0 years, reaching 75.5 years in Santa Catarina. The Federal District was the Federation Unit with the highest life expectancy, 75.6 years.

 

Country has 25.4 deaths by murder and 20.3 by traffic accident per each one thousand inhabitants

 

According to the Ministry of Health, Brazil had, in 2007, a rate of 25.4 deaths caused by murder per each one thousand inhabitants. This kind of death was considerably more common among men (47.7) than women (3.9). There was increment of 6.2 deaths per each one thousand inhabitants between 1992 and 2007, especially among men. Between 1992 and 2003 the coefficient increases and, since 2004, it has been on a downward trend.

 

In 2007, Alagoas (59.5 per one thousand), Espírito Santo (53.3) and Pernambuco (53.0) were the leaders in terms of homicide rates. The state of Rio de Janeiro was in the 4th position, having managed to reduce from 50.8 in 2004 to 41.5 the deaths by homicide per each one thousand inhabitants. The lowest rates were those of Santa Catarina (10.4), Piauí (12.4) and São Paulo, which changed from 28.5 in 2004 to 15.4 per 100 thousand inn 2007.

 

Primary records of homicides are obtained from State Health Secretariats and processed by the Ministry of Health, being available on the Mortality Data System (SIM, in Portuguese).

 

In relation to deaths in means of transportation³, the highest figures were those recorded in the Central West (44.8/100 thousand inhabitants) and South (43.2/100 thousand inhabitants), which recorded, in 2007, figures above the national average (20.3/100 thousand inhabitants), remaining at the same level as in 2004.

 

 

43% of Brazilian households are inadequate 

 

In 2008, 57% of the households were considered adequate for living, that is, they had, simultaneously, water supply by public systems, sewage disposal system by public Server or skeptic tank, direct or indirect garbage collection and up to two dwellers per bedroom. That means about 25 million households still did not fulfill this criteria. On the other hand, there was significant increase once, in 1992, only 36.8% of the households were considered adequate.

 

 

The North (28.6% of adequate households), Northeast (40.2%) and Central West (39.4%) Region, except for the Federal District, recorded percentages below the national average. On the other hand, in the Southeast, percentage was 72.5%, and in the South, 62.3%. The lowest percentages among the Federation Units were those of Mato Grosso (21.1%) and Amapá (22.5%). In the Federal District, adequate households reached    78.6% and, in São Paulo, 77.3%.

 

Hospitalization caused by diseases related to inadequate sanitation records decrease

 

From 1993 to 1998, there was decrease by approximately 50% of hospitalization occurrences due to diseases related to inadequate sanitation, from 732.8 per 100 thousand to 348.2 per 100 thousand, what can seen as a result of the improvement of sanitation services and increase of access, besides improvement of hospitalization records.

 

In 1999, slight oscillation started to be observed, and 2008 came with a rate of 308.8 hospitalization occurrences per 100 thousand inhabitants in the country. Despite the decrease of hospitalization, regional inequality remains. In 2008, in the Southeast Region the ratio was 126, whereas in the North, 654 persons per each one thousand inhabitants were hospitalized.

 

Economic dimension: Good macroeconomic performance and stability of production and consumption patterns

 

The 11 indicators of the economic dimension of SDI 2010, organized according to the topics economic scenario and production and consumption patterns, deal with the macroeconomic and financial performance of the country and of the impacts on the consumption of material resources, on production and management of residue and on the use of energy. See the main highlights below:

 

Consumption of energy per capita reaches 48.3 GJ/inhab, but efficiency does not increase

 

In 2009, the consumption of energy per capita, that is, the amount consumed by each Brazilian reached 48.3 gigajoules per inhabitant (GJ/inhab). It was the second highest index since the beginning of the time series, in 1992, second to the figure in 2008, when consumption reached 50 GJ/inhab. This variable is directly related to the level of development of a country.

 

 

On the other hand, the energetic intensity, that is, the quantity of energy needed to produce a unit of GDP, which measures the efficiency of energy  use, has been stable since 1995. Since then, the index has ranged between 0.209 equivalent metric tons of petroleum per R$ 1,000, the lowest in the series, and 0.213 equivalent metric tons of petroleum per R$ 1,000, in 2009. The peak was reached in 1999, when the index reached 0.229 equivalent metric tons of petroleum per R$ 1,000 (the lower the value, the bigger the efficiency of energy use).

 

Almost half of the Brazilian energy comes from renewable sources

 

In 2009, 47.2% of the energy used in Brazil came from renewable sources, which may provide energy continuously, if strategies of sustainable development are adopted, as observed in 1992 (47.6%), when the time series began. Until 2001, the index had reached 39.3%, as a result of the reduced participation of hydroelectric plants, of the reduced consumption of firewood and charcoal and of the increasing participation of natural gas in the Brazilian energetic matrix. The growth, from 2002 on (41%) was mainly due to the increased use of biomass (sugarcane) and, to a lower extent, of the so-called alternative sources, such as solar energy, wind power, biogas, among others. It is important to highlight that even renewable sources cause environment impact.

 

The Brazilian energetic matrix also depends to a great extent on non-renewable sources: 52.8% of the energy produced comes from petroleum and its derivatives (37.8%), natural gas (37.8%), coal and its derivatives (4.8%) and uranium and its derivatives (1.4%). The dependence on factors such as these may not be sustainable in the long run.

 

All the data on energy come from the Energy Research Company (EPE, in Portuguese).

 

More than 90% of the aluminum cans in Brazil are recycled

 

Among the different types of material recycled in the country, aluminum is still a highlight, with recycling index of 91.5% in 2008 – reduction in relation to the figure in 2007, when there was a peak of 96.5%. For other material investigated by the Brazilian Business Commitment for Recycling (CEMPRE, in Portuguese), except for long-life packages (carton or Tetra Pak), recycling indexes ranged between 45% and 55%, all of them tending to increase or stability. Considering Tetra Pak packages, figures are lower (about 25%), although they have also been increasing.

 

Institutional dimension: advances are concentrated on the access to telephony and Internet

 

The five indicators of institutional dimension of SDI 2010 refer to political behavior, capacity and effort made by governments and by society aimed at promoting changes required for an effective implementation of sustainable development. The main indicators are highlighted below:

 

 

 

Country ratified more than 30 international agreements

 

Since the 1960’s, according to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil has ratified more than 30 multilateral international agreements on environmental issues; more than 1/3 of them refer to the protection of fauna and flora and six documents are about  the conservation of the ozone layer. The ratification of agreements does not guarantee, however, their overall applicability; besides, some international agreements have not been ratified because it not possible to identify the problem or to characterize it as priority in the country.

 

In relation to environmental councils, which constitute some of the landmarks of sustainable development local management, there existed, in 2008, in 2650 Brazilian municipalities (47.6%), but only 1,880 of them (33.8% of the total) were effectively in activity. Among active councils, 1,210 (64%) were located in municipalities in the South and Southeast Regions.

 

Investment in Research and Development has increased, but it does not surpass 1% of GDP

 

The national investment in Research and Development (R&D) increased from R$ 12 billion in 2000 to R$ 32.7 billion in 2008, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology. These figures corresponded to 1.02% and 1.09% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), respectively, showing that the percent change was small, in spite of the increment of absolute figures.

 

Expenditure on R&D in 2008, R$ 17.68 billion (54%) were made on public investments and the other R$ 15.09 billion on business investments. From public resources, R$ 12.07 billion came from federal institutions and R$ 5.61 billion from state ones.

 

Volume of access to mobile telephony doubles in four years, and households with Internet service almost triple between 2001 and 2008

 

Access to mobile telephony in Brazil has gone through accelerated increase in the last few years. In 1994, whereas fixed telephony reached 86 users for each one thousand inhabitants, mobile telephony only had five accesses; ten years later, the density of access to this kind of service for one thousand inhabitants reached 366 users, versus 279 of a fixed telephone line, according to the National Agency of Telecommunications (ANATEL, in Portuguese). In 2008, the difference was 306 accesses to fixed telephony versus 794 of mobile service for each one thousand inhabitants, which corresponds to increase of 259% in four years. In this same year, the country had more than 150 million mobile accesses.

 

The density of mobile telephony is bigger than that of fixed telephony in all Federation Units, especially in the Federal District, Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás. In the Federal District , the high number of accesses for each one thousand persons (1,348) points to the existence of more than one mobile telephone per inhabitant. Then come Rio de Janeiro (969) and Mato Grosso do Sul (967). As for fixed telephony, the lowest densities occurred in Maranhão (120 for one thousand persons) and Piauí (136), and the biggest ones were in Rio de Janeiro (502), Federal District (484) and São Paulo (442).

 

In the last few years there has been continuous increase of the number of households with Internet access, from 8.6% in 2001 to 23.8% in 2008. That same year, there were 13.7 million permanent private households with Internet access in computers. Figures reflect, however, inequality among the Major Regions: whereas the Southeast had 31.5% of connected households; the North Region had 10.6%.

 

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¹ The calculation of total emission is based on the equivalence with carbon dioxide  (CO2 eq), because although other gases have a higher potential of temperature rise than CO2, the predominance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes it to be the basis for comparison.

 

² The Gini Index expresses the level of concentration in the distribution of the population's income. It ranges from 0 (zero), a situation of perfect equality, to 1 (one), a situation of maximum inequality.

 

³ It includes traffic accidents (with a vehicle in a public area) and non-traffic ones  (which take place anytime at a place that is not a public area).