2026-03-27
Valcir Sumekwa Xerente, Liliana Pena Naval
Indigenous communities in Brazil, particularly in the state of Tocantins (Brazilian Legal Amazon), continue to face persistent challenges regarding water security and sanitation. Historically marginalized by colonial structures and state policies, these populations experience unequal access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation services, undermining health, cultural practices, and environmental justice. This study analyzes the implementation and effectiveness of water supply and sanitation policies targeting Indigenous peoples, with an emphasis on the National Indigenous Peoples Health Policy (PNASPI). The methodology adopted combined a systematic review of literature, national legislation, and health policy documents with the analysis of sanitation infrastructure data from 160 Indigenous villages, sourced from official databases. The review also incorporated thematic mapping and epidemiological data on waterborne diseases, notably acute diarrheal disease (ADD). The results show that only 10% of villages have both water supply systems and sanitary modules, while 30% of the Indigenous population lacks treated water, violating PNASPI provisions. The persistence of high rates of waterborne diseases highlights policy failures and health inequities. The findings call for culturally sensitive, participatory governance models, improved sanitation infrastructure, and the integration of Indigenous knowledge to enhance water security and health outcomes in Indigenous territories.
2026-03-17
Renata Barbosa Monteiro Machado, Flávia Ferreira Batista, Lara de Melo Barbosa Andrade, Albert Smith Feitosa Suassuna Martins, Cláudio Moisés Santos e Silva
The history of the Brazilian Semi-Arid (BSA) region is intrinsically linked to extreme climatic variations, such as prolonged droughts and increasing aridity, which severely impact water security, food security, and socioeconomic stability in the region. The aim of this study was to develop a homoclimatic typology for the BSA by identifying homogeneous climatic profiles and associating them with sociodemographic dynamics. Meteorological data, including precipitation, relative humidity, maximum and minimum temperatures, and wind speed, were obtained from the Brazilian Daily Weather Gridded Data, interpolated on a 0.1 × 0.1° grid, covering the period from 1961 to 2020. Additionally, 18 sociodemographic indicators from the 1991, 2000, and 2010 censuses, carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, such as infant mortality and urbanization rates, were analyzed. Through cluster analysis using the Ward method, four distinct climatic zones (BSA I, II, III, and IV) were identified. This approach enabled the integration of meteorological and sociodemographic variables, providing a more precise characterization of the region. The results revealed rising temperatures, intensifying droughts, and increased vulnerability in areas such as BSA III, characterized by severe aridity and limited infrastructure. Despite improvements in sociodemographic indicators, regional inequalities persist, underscoring the importance of examining age and sociodemographic characteristics within the identified clusters. This analysis aims to understand the population-specific characteristics of each profile and their relationship with existing vulnerabilities, enabling the identification of specific patterns and supporting the formulation of more targeted and effective public policies.
2026-03-16
Maycon Winnicius Barreira de Souza Coelho, Idiandra Vieira dos Santos Alves, Francisco Leonardo Tejerina-Garro
Macroplastic pollution in riverine systems is a growing concern, particularly in neotropical rivers draining urban and agricultural areas. These environments act as vectors for the transport and deposition of plastic waste, thereby compromising water quality and ecosystem services. This study assessed the influence of temporal variation (seasonal and intraseasonal), spatial variation (along the river stretch), source, and deposition site on the density of macroplastics (>3 cm) in the Meia Ponte River, Goiás, located in the upper section of the Paraná River basin, Central Brazil. Four sampling campaigns were conducted between 2023 and 2024 at three main channel points, covering areas upstream and downstream of the Goiânia metropolitan region. The macroplastics were visually identified and classified in situ by source and deposition site. Density was analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s post-hoc tests. A total of 2,024 items were recorded, yielding a total density of 40.4 items.m −2 . Significant differences were observed among the categories of seasonality, intraseasonality, and source (p<0.05). It is concluded that temporal variation (seasonal and intraseasonal) and source are the modulating factors of macroplastic dynamics in the sampled river.
2026-03-16
Valdiney Ferrreira Almeida, Maria Olívia de Albuquerque Ribeiro Simão, Marcelo Limont
A Sustainable University (SU) should utilize Environmental Management (EM) tools in its institutional routines, such as the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking (GM) as one of the sustainability assessment tools. It presents a global assessment methodology and is widely accepted; however, it does not consider the regional profiles of universities. The objective of this article was to propose guidelines for the Integration of Sustainability in Planning (ISP) of Federal Institutes (FIs) in the Brazilian Amazon in relation to EM. Seven FIs located in the Amazon Biome were compared, as well as their sectoral structures, institutional planning and sustainability documents, adherence to EM tools, and possible integration arrangements. In the field research, EM practices were evaluated. The results show that the seven FIs strive to align with the SU concept, but without systematization and network integration in the sense of union. It is concluded that Higher Education Institutions and FIs that possess a specific EM sector and EM tools demonstrate better sustainability performance. Among the analyzed Amazonian FIs, there is no participation in the GM, and their EM actions are not systemic, as they plan and execute specific actions, distancing themselves from the possibility of ISP. The ISP guidelines pointed out for FIs were the need to adapt institutional documents to encourage the development of actions in Integration Networks; adherence to the GM and the Environmental Agenda Program of the Public Administration (A3P); establishment of a physical EM sectoral channel; and benchmarking with FIs adhering to the GM.
2026-03-13
Ana Patrícia Gomes Silva, Estephania Silva Jovino, Juliana Farias Santos de Moraes, Rebecca Borja Gonçalves Gomes de Menezes, Ubiratan Joaquim da Silva Junior, Sylvana Melo dos Santos, Leidjane Maria Maciel de Oliveira
Accurate estimates of reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) are essential for water management and agriculture, especially in data-scarce regions such as the Brazilian semi-arid. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of indirect empirical methods for determining ET₀, Hargreaves–Samani, solar radiation, and Jensen–Haise, together with the MOD16A2 remote sensing product and the BR-DWGD gridded dataset. The methodology consisted of an analysis based on observed data from the municipalities of Garanhuns, Surubim, and Caruaru, in the Agreste region of Pernambuco, using the Penman–Monteith FAO-56 model as the standard reference. The results indicated that the solar radiation method achieved the best performance across all three municipalities, being classified as “excellent” (c > 0.85) in every case. The Jensen–Haise and Hargreaves–Samani models also performed well, with classifications ranging from “very good” to “excellent”. In contrast, the MOD16A2 product showed limitations, with greater variability and lower accuracy among the evaluated sites. The BR-DWGD dataset, in turn, demonstrated strong performance, with low error margins and a high correlation with observed data. These results demonstrate that radiation- and temperature-based models are suitable for estimating ET₀ in the Agreste region, while also highlighting the need to improve remote sensing ET al algorithms in climatically heterogeneous environments.
2026-01-05
Luciana Sanches, Murilo Faria dos Anjos Anjos, Gersina Nobre Carmo Cesarone, Vanusa de Souza Pacheco Hoki, Keylyane Santos da Silva Alves
The State Environmental Protection Area of the Cuiabá River Headwaters, located in the Cerrado biome, experiences recurrent wildfires that threaten its ecological integrity. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamics of fire activity between 2010 and 2019, focusing on the relationship between climatic variables and the occurrence of hot spots. Data on hot spots were sourced from the fire database of the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research, while climate variables — precipitation, air temperature, and relative humidity — were obtained from the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology database. Monthly fire activity was statistically correlated with climatic conditions using Spearman’s correlation, and the number of consecutive dry days was calculated to assess drought severity. The results revealed a significant increase in hot spot density during the dry season (August to October), strongly associated with low precipitation, high temperatures, and critically low relative humidity. Among these variables, relative humidity showed the strongest and most consistent correlation with fire incidence, evidencing its role as an immediate meteorological trigger. Spatial analysis using kernel density estimation confirmed the concentration of fire activity in areas with recent land use changes, particularly agricultural expansion zones. These findings highlight the role of compound drought–fire dynamics in shaping fire regimes in the Cerrado and support the adoption of climate-informed fire management strategies to reduce wildfire risk in protected areas.
2026-01-05
Maria Fernanda Caceres, Eduarda Santa-Helena, Anna De Falco, Gabriel Gonçalves, Marcos Felipe de Souza Pedreira, Sergio Machado Corrêa, Adriana Gioda
Particulate matter (PM) size distribution samples were collected using a Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI) in Rio de Janeiro between July and September 2016 during the Olympic and Paralympic periods, when there was an increase in tourist flow, changes in the local economy, modifications in traffic and pollution emission patterns. The samples were analyzed for elemental composition using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), for organic and inorganic ions using ion chromatography, and for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The data were processed, interpreted, and discussed through statistical analyses performed in R Language, including boxplots and Pearson correlation methodology. Results were categorized according to particle size: coarse, fine, ultrafine, and nano. Chloride dominated the coarse particulate matter (PMC; 18–3.2 μm), NO₂⁻ the fine fraction (PMF; 1.8–0.56 μm), and HCOO⁻ the ultrafine fraction (PMN; 320–56 nm). Ni, Pb, Sb, and V were enriched in PMN. Four- and five-ring PAHs were predominant across all particle size groups. The species present in the coarse fraction come from natural sources, while those in the fine fraction are of anthropogenic origin, mainly from the combustion of diesel and gasoline by vehicle engines.