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António Mortal · Jaime Aníbal
Jânio Monteiro · Cláudia Sequeira
Jorge Semião · Manuela Moreira da Silva
Miguel Oliveira Editors
INCREaSE
Proceedings of the 1st International
Congress on Engineering and
Sustainability in the XXI
Century – INCREaSE 2017
INCREaSE
António Mortal Jaime Aníbal
•
Miguel Oliveira
Editors
INCREaSE
Proceedings of the 1st International Congress
on Engineering and Sustainability in the XXI
Century – INCREaSE 2017
123
Editors
António Mortal Jorge Semião
Institute of Engineering Institute of Engineering
University of Algarve University of Algarve
Faro Faro
Portugal Portugal
Cláudia Sequeira
Institute of Engineering
University of Algarve
Faro
Portugal
v
vi Preface
Coordinating Committee
Honorary Committee
vii
viii Organization
Organizing Committee
Invited Speakers
Scientific Committee
Institutional Support
UNIVERSIDADE DO ALGARVE
CIMA—UNIVERSIDADE DO ALGARVE
ITeCons - Instituto de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico para a
Construção, Energia, Ambiente e Sustentabilidade
CRESC ALGARVE 2020, Portugal 2020 and FEEI
Organization xi
With Participation of
IBM
Endorser
Sponsors
Media Partner
SUL INFORMAÇÃO
Contents
xiii
xiv Contents
1 Introduction
In recent years, South America has undergone several sociopolitical, economic and
cultural processes, which have been responsible for the path that the countries of the
region had follow. Among these processes, those that focus on regional integration
stands out. In other words, processes that led to the establishment of a type of society
among its member states, impacting on the intensification and development of regional
integration of the South American countries. These processes resulted in the emergence
of international organizations, legal entities under international law, such as MER-
COSUR (Common Market of the South), CAN (Andean Community of Nations) and
UNASUR (Union of South American Nations), one of the most recent attempts at
regional integration among almost all South American countries.
It is true that there is a great debate about the environment, especially regarding to
the natural resources available in UNASUR, given that these are considered indis-
pensable tools for the successful realization of the development of the region, as well as
their access is an indispensable mean to guarantee all the fundamental rights of the
South American population. The discussion about natural resources should be a priority
in the public policy agenda of UNASUR countries, since the region has a large part of
the world reserve [32] and that the simple absence of policies that regulate the sus-
tainability of resource exploitation May entail a communal tragedy for the population
of the Member States of the Union.
Considering the scenario that the environmental issue must be key in all integration
processes and that the development of all nations is linked to the environmental pro-
tection, the present work, of theoretical nature, aims to discuss the representativeness of
the environment to UNASUR and its members.
2 Method
As the main objective of the present research is to discuss the representativeness of the
environment to UNASUR and its members, the traditional bibliography review process
was used to the theoretical development. The bibliographical references were acquired
at electronic sites of official public entities, verifying the applicable legislations related
to the subject, and consulting official data and reports of political and social activities of
UNASUR. The accomplishment of this research was done by raising data and com-
paring the results obtained in order to demonstrate and explain similarities and dif-
ferences between the member countries of UNASUR.
The concern about the environment and its problems are of a supranational nature, and
in recent years several international institutions and organizations have emerged to
meet this growing demand [27], which represents a difficult challenge, especially for
the countries of South America region, where natural resources act with great
emphasis, whether for the economy, well-being or growth [1, 12]. The regulation of the
environment has intensified since the recognition that environmental problems lacks
mechanisms of control and prevention that are developed jointly between the States
Oliveira [24].
Fonseca et al. [15] estimates that of the more than 500 existing international
environmental treaties, 320 refer to the regional ones, thus showing an intense multi-
plication of agreements and legal instruments related to the environment among the
regional regimes. In this scenario, the emergence of UNASUR may represent a pos-
sibility for a debate on environmental issues to be related to regional development,
since, as Domingues [12, p. 99] mentions, South American integration is a result of A
similar desire of the countries of the region to seek common public policies that benefit
them mutually, and that are based on the “exchange of experiences of the peoples in the
fields of the arts, education, health, safety and environmental protection.” In addition,
6 I.B. Espíndola and C.M. de Oliveira
Since it does not stablish common legal standards for environmental preservation, it
can be concluded that the Treaty does not prioritize the environment, but the Treaty
considers the preservation of the environment as fundamental to the integration pro-
cess. In this way, the environment is presented as a concern both related to its
preservation and to a more effective use of the environmental assets found in the
region. Díaz [11] also presents this possibility, because for the author the inclusion of
environmental issues within UNASUR may have been influenced by commercial and
economic requirements.
The countries that are part of UNASUR introduced the protection of the environ-
ment in their respective Constitutions, demonstrating that it is an indispensable factor
for the integration processes that occur or may occur in the South American continent
[11]. According to Bruckmann [6] this movement is favored in the region as a result of
the development of visions committed to the preservation of nature according to the
principles of the original peoples of the region, who value a deep connection between
the land and the community.
In the Table 1 it is listed the main texts in the Constitutions of UNASUR members
that refer to the environment, its protection and the duty of the State to ensure that
nature is protected.
The Brazilian environmental legislation, for example, is considered “one of the
most advanced in the world” [18, p. 155], while Ecuador was the first country to
guarantee constitutional rights to nature [8]. For Moraes and Júnior [21], Ecuador and
Bolivia serve as perfect examples of the recognition of the environment as a common
and unprotected patrimony. According to these authors, the Constitutions of Ecuador
(2008) and Bolivia [4] reflect the construction of an environmental paradigm in the
region, providing for “the right of the population to live in a healthy and ecologically
balanced environment that ensures sustainability and good living” [21, p. 60] and
declaring that it is in the public interest to preserve the environment, as well as to
conserve ecosystems, protect biodiversity and prevent environmental damage. In
addition to Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia, the other members of UNASUR also have
their respective laws and regulations regarding environmental protection.
It is important to remember that in the last fifty years all UNASUR member
countries have promulgated new Constitutions or reformed existing ones, including
specific chapters for the environment. The existence of environmental laws and policies
within each UNASUR member country reflects that the countries’ environmental
patrimony has been raised to a matter of national interest, necessary for the protection
of human dignity and a condition for guaranteeing socio-economic development.
Although countries have their own environmental laws, Campos [7] argues that
there is still a lack of common public policies for UNASUR countries that aims to
protect, preserve and use the resources in South America, as the one that exist to
regulate and price products or services from these shared environments. In the same
line of reasoning, Castro et al. [8] defend that in the absence of an integrated program
between States, as well as the lack of a multidisciplinary dialogue, and the reduction of
the discrepancy between knowledge and its application. According to Senhoras et al.
[31] the valuation of natural resources based on a geopolitical and strategic connotation
is still preponderant, since a scarce natural resource becomes a key piece of disputes
and conflicts. In other words, a conflicting component for the States and other actors of
8 I.B. Espíndola and C.M. de Oliveira
Table 1. (continued)
Country Main text Year
Venezuela Article 127—It is a right and duty of each generation to protect and 1999
maintain the environment for the benefit of itself and the future world.
Every person has the individual and collective right to enjoy life and a safe,
healthy and ecologically balanced environment. The State will protect the
environment, biological diversity, genetic resources, ecological processes,
national parks and natural monuments and other areas of particular
ecological importance. The genome of living beings can not be patented,
and the law that refers to bioethical principles will regulate matter
Source prepared by the authors [3] [4] [5] [9] [10] [13] [16] [25] [26] [33] [35] [36]
the international relations. Among these positions, Domingues [12] argues that envi-
ronmental concern can be understood by its fundamental aspect for life, or by means of
an economic side, approaching the defense of Senhoras et al. [31], linked to the scarce
nature of resources. In the case of the South American countries, Domingues [12, p. 93]
includes this economic logic as justification for the concern for the environment and
also for the “propulsion of regional integration” itself.
Between the recent experiences of UNASUR in environmental matters, it can be
said that these are incipient on the subject. For Castro et al. [8] and Campos [7], the
South American region needs a multidisciplinary, inclusive and adaptive environmental
program, aimed at the development of true environmental governance between coun-
tries. However, UNASUR reveals itself as a relevant legal space to develop themes on
the international environmental agenda, fundamental for the evolution of the integra-
tion process at the regional level, mainly because it involves and cherishes cooperation
in several areas, and has an ideological pluralism that past integration processes did not
have it [23]. Thus, for Castro et al. [8], it would be possible to enhance a greater
understanding of the region’s environmental challenges by adapting local and regional
specificities.
4 Conclusion
Since the 1970s environmental issues have become more present in international
relations, increasingly evidencing that environmental protection is directly connected
with the survival of the human being. Concern about environmental issues, respect for
nature and the quest for sustainable development have become part of States agendas,
being grounded and protected by bilateral, regional and international agreements and
treaties. This finding has resulted in important changes over the last few years, opening
up space for new policies to be developed in favor of environmental governance in
order to overcome the environmental challenges and social and environmental
dilemmas that constantly arise in everyday life.
The elaboration of this article analyzed how the environment is included in the
construction and conception of UNASUR, one of the most recent integration processes
10 I.B. Espíndola and C.M. de Oliveira
in South America, addressing its representativeness to the member countries and to the
Union itself. Initially it was discussed the relevance strategic importance of the region’s
natural resources and the importance of preserving the environment for the region’s full
advancement and development. It has been demonstrated that UNASUR does not have
an exclusively commercial and economic agenda, presenting from its birth diverse
approaches, such as social, political, cultural and environmental. Despite being a recent
integration process, UNASUR does not qualify as a simple sum between the former
regional integration processes of South America.
The analysis made it possible to conclude that the environment is presented as one
of the objectives of this regional integration process, as it is mentioned in the Con-
stitutive Treaty of UNASUR, and its conservation is one of the premises for the full
scope of regional integration. It was not the purpose of this paper to judge or even
analyze the common and particular reasons that led to the introduction of the envi-
ronment in the Constitutive Treaty of UNASUR, but rather to emphasize that the Union
recognizes that preservation of the environment as fundamental for the very mainte-
nance of life and to achieve the development of its member states, highlighting the
environmental debate as a premise for the South American policies processes of the
Union itself.
It is recognized that environmental protection has gained significance as a public
policy in all countries. Though, it is still imperative that the States begin to exercise
their obligation to guarantee the best living conditions for their population, involving
all the necessary actors to reach consensus and to establish the necessary agreements.
UNASUR has conditions for this to happen, coordinating the interests and actions to
face the threats, making the development agenda compatible with the protection of the
environment. However, for this to happen, the environmental policy among UNASUR
member countries must be clear and precise, not presenting any differences in the
environmental issue to avoid any possible instabilities and conflicts due to the absence
of harmonious and common norms concerning to the theme, thus making environ-
mental protection effective.
References
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Renewing Terraces and Drystone
Walls of Algarvian Barrocal: Cultural
and Touristic Values
Abstract. This paper aims to enhance the functions of terraces and drystone
walls as structural elements and distinctive factors of the traditional rural zone
known as the barrocal of the Algarve, south of Portugal. In fact, such elements
define the character of the landscape that forms the background of a traditional
touristic region along the coast. The core of this paper will be the knowledge of
construction processes, spatial distribution, and hydrological, ecological, eco-
nomic and social functions, once it is quite necessary for the Algarve region.
Some projects and studies have been developed in the Mediterranean context,
but there is not enough research on this subject in the south of Portugal. Sec-
ondly, the social meaning, or acknowledgement of the landscape characterized
by drystone wall structures, will be the key for finding real possibilities of
renewing the terraces. Therefore, the landscape will be assumed as a common
good. In this subject, we take into account the potential role and sensibility of
tourists and resident population. Beyond static patrimonial statutes, we can
design some practical possibilities to enhance plastic features and new uses
leading to an acknowledgement of the Algarvian drystone wall structure,
referred as a part of Mediterranean coastal landscapes. Some examples that can
add cultural and touristic value could be: recreation areas for urbanites, new
cooperative forms of agriculture, hobby farming, workshops about harvesting
traditional products, circuits and pedestrian paths, and interchange with similar
Mediterranean regions defining broader circuits.
But it was clear that the camels were at their last gasp for want of
water, and the two weaker ones could hardly even stand. There was
only one way of getting those beasts back to Dakhla, and that was to
keep just enough water in the tanks to take the men back to our
rendezvous with Abd er Rahman, and to give the camels all the rest.
This had the double advantage of not only quenching their thirst, but
also of lightening considerably the loads that the poor brutes had to
carry; but it spelt disaster if Abd er Rahman failed to turn up.
In travelling in the desert during the hot weather, when the whole
caravan was on a limited water ration, I usually took the occasion of
watering the beasts to have a bath. The water was poured into a
folding canvas arrangement, in which—without using any soap—I
performed my ablutions, and the camels were allowed to drink out of
it afterwards. As a camel is not a fastidious beast in his diet, the
arrangement worked very well. But on this occasion I was deprived
of my wash, as, owing to the necessity of reducing the weight of the
baggage, I had been obliged to leave the bath behind in Mut.
The difficulty of keeping oneself properly clean on a limited water
supply constituted perhaps the greatest trial in a desert journey. The
baths I obtained when the camels drank were a great luxury, but my
washing in between their drinks was of the scantiest possible
description. The method that I found made the water go farthest was
to scrub myself clean with the moistened corner of a towel and rub
myself vigorously with the drier part of it afterwards. Sometimes the
supply was insufficient for even this economical method. I then
usually retired behind a rock, stripped and rolled in the sand like a
camel. This, though not so cleansing as the damp towel method,
was distinctly refreshing.
We got what rest we could during the early part of the evening,
and got off about two in the morning, marched throughout the night
until we halted for the midday rest. We were off again at five in the
evening and marched, with only one halt near midnight, to eat a
meal, till nine o’clock on the following morning, by which time we had
reached the top of the Bab es Sabah. We had then had enough of it
and camped till sunset, when we resumed our journey and marched
throughout the night till dawn.
The stars in the clear desert atmosphere shine with a brilliance
altogether unknown in our more northerly latitudes. The Milky Way
appears as a filmy cloud, and is so distinct that, when first I saw it in
the desert, I took it to be one. We were practically on the line of the
tropic of Cancer, and, in that southerly latitude, many stars appeared
that never show above the horizon in England, conspicuous among
them being that rather overrated constellation the Southern Cross.
Wasm, or Brand, of the Senussia.
Each Arab tribe has its own camel brand. The Wasm of the Senussi
Dervishes is the word “Allah” branded on the neck. (p. 24).