Using the capability approach to analyze contemporary environmental governance challenges in coastal Brazil

Abstract

Conservation and development are often framed as a dichotomy, requiring trade-offs. But trade-offs can be due to the particular political situation and to relationships of domination, and are not necessarily the inevitable result of an intractable situation. Environmental governance in Brazil is in transition, with growing tension between those who seek a social-environmental approach and those who are strictly concerned with preservation. This article applies the capability approach framework to analyze the human development situation in Trindade, Brazil, by answering key questions that are central to this approach (1) What kind of lives are people able to live? Are they able to be or do what they have reason to value? and (2) What is the quality of economic, social and political relations in Trindade? Three main 'shocks' emerge as having major impacts on the way of life of community members: (a) Conflict with external commercial developers, (b) Paving of access road into community, and (c) Enforcement of a Federal Protected Area on historical community land and sea space. Capability priorities were established for women, men, older adults and people with disabilities. The impacts of development and conservation policies are different for the four groups, as are the priorities for capabilities. There is no single capability that is found in the top three priorities across the four groups. The case in Trindade demonstrates that space for public participation is not sufficient to ensure that the people who are trying to improve their wellbeing and be the author of their own lives can influence the outcome, and also shows that regular contact and connection does not necessarily create empathy, as Sen assumed in The Idea of Justice. Erika Bockstael and Fikret Berkes

Is adaptation success a flawed concept?

“…Metrics must be defined by and be meaningful to the people and organizations on the ground 13 . As Bockstael and Berkes express, "people need to be actively involved in planning their future and not be the passive recipients of programs designed by others" 14 . The process of tracking change may be an opportunity to create authentic dialogue about what societies value and whose interests are represented.…”

Sacred Sites Protection and Indigenous Women’s Activism: Empowering Grassroots Social Movements to Influence Public Policy. A Look into the “Women of Standing Rock” and “Idle No More” Indigenous Movements

“…On the one hand, The Women of Standing Rock and the Idle No More movements highlighted how there are many situations where Indigenous Peoples have significantly reduced capabilities, and opportunities, to live in accordance with their traditional and spiritual values because of resource appropriation, inadequate resource protection, or resource exploitation (Bockstael and Berkes 2017). On the other hand, the movements also highlighted that Indigenous women today, more than ever, can influence public policies that foster and protect their land and their religious identity.…”

“…Therefore, the WSD and IDM grassroots social movements also proved that the Nussbaum and Basu paradigm-promoting agency and Indigenous women's capabilities-do produce outcomes, especially when they take the form of social movements. The growing movement by Indigenous women to assert their rights, and to move to self-determination in sustainable environmental and spiritual practices and development, creates a positive discourse that advances Indigenous women's position in crossing the obstacles onto "institutional places of privilege" (Lane 2018;Bockstael and Berkes 2017). This became evident through the impact that the INM movement had globally, and how it influenced the WSR movement's development a few years later (Nicolescu 2018).…”

A capability approach to assess aquaculture sustainability standard compliance

“…The same logic applies to studies on environmental governance. The negative consequences of environmental degradation is then not only determined by poor resource management, but by the inability of resource users to access and employ (for example) the legal rights needed to engage in effective resource management [26].…”