Highlights Waterways can help Brazil with carbon emission and fossil fuel use reduction. Main points of divergence over the Tocantins rock removal are socio-enviromental. Local respondents denounce irregularities in environmental licensing procedures.
Abstract In Brazil, increasing Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) figures among efforts for the Nationally Determined Contribution due to better energy efficiency and lower CO2 emission levels, when compared to highways and railways. Identifying barriers and drivers is useful to develop IWT as an alternative to terrestrial transportation modes, which are scarce in the Brazilian Amazon. As more than 50% of Brazilian electricity is generated in hydropower plants, the harmonic coexistence between multiple water uses is crucial. This paper aims to explore stakeholders' perceptions and priorities related to the development of inland waterway transport in the Tocantins River, Amazon, Brazil, where there are several hydropower plants. With an emphasis on sustainability issues, we used the Q-Method, a technique for assessing the relative importance of elements in various contexts. We identify and describe four perspectives (factors) using Q-method: (1) “critical shoals”; (2) “waterway, death project”; (3) “dams on waterways” and (4) “freedom for waterways”. Within these perspectives, economic incentives, with insights to cut down costs and increase freight are main concerns. We found disconnection between the reality of local communities and the lack of awareness on negative impacts by government officials and economic agents interested in waterway development. Mechanisms to guarantee social participation in IWT planning and implementing could foster socially acceptable solutions for technical, economic and governance issues.
Inland waterway transport development: A Q-Method study on Tocantins River, Brazilian Amazon
2023-09-27
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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