- 1995/272 pages
The Ecopolitics of Development in the Third World
Choice Outstanding Academic Book
Honorable Mention, 1992 Sprout Award
Equally a study of the ecological foundations of political systems and a detailed analysis of how a particular Third World political system, Brazil's, addresses environmental issues, this unusually engaging book explores the institutional and political dimensions of environmental problems in developing countries. Roberto Guimarães discusses the theoretical linkage between ecology and political science, presents a unique historical analysis of those linkages in Brazil, and looks at the structure for environmental policy formation and implementation in Brazil through a case study of the Special Secretariat for the Environment (SEMA). Because Brazil is one of the world's fastest-growing economies, the study of its ecopolitics sheds light on crucial dimensions of the debate over development and the environment. Guimarães's treatment of the politics of public policies concerning the environment reveals also how "environment" is conceptualized in development planning and how environmental management reflects the main features of the political system and social formation in Brazil.
