Challenges and opportunities for sustainable urbanization and local environmental management in 88 cities from the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

This study aims at increasing knowledge about the challenges, opportunities and contexts of municipal environmental management in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Through an online questionnaire sent to contacts from 760 municipal environmental agencies, 88 valid answers were obtained. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Among the results achieved, the following stand out: (i) the challenges and opportunities related to the management of urban solid waste are central and feedback negatively due the lack of personnel, resources and projects; (ii) there is a favorable scenario for ecological restoration and circular economy in the municipalities that is not carried out as a consequence of low institutional capacity; (iii) municipal conservation units (CUs) were more frequent than federal and state ones, which is positive; however, it alerts to the underreporting of municipal CUs in the national registry and to the need for research and efforts that integrate municipalities into the context of specially protected territories; (iv) 68% of the sampled municipalities received the ‘ICMS Ecológico’ tax benefit, which must be related to the observed frequency of municipal CUs; (v) 60% of the municipalities have some type of environmental regulation of their own regardless of the population size and environmental licensing for projects with a local impact; (vi) intersectionality is practiced between the municipal and state environmental bodies, which may be related to standard procedures, such as the Ecological Tax (ICMS); (vii) the municipal environmental councils were appointed as the main management instrument, referring to the importance of democracy for environmental management; (viii) one third of the sampled managers do not fully understand the context of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals); and (ix) partnerships between municipal environmental management agencies and universities that are located in the territories has a potential to be promoted. It is recommended that research, innovation and entrepreneurship institutions pay attention to the socioenvironmental opportunities present in inland municipalities.