Challenges and prospects for integrating the assessment of health impacts in the licensing process of large capital project in Brazil

Article Article scientifique Article Challenges and prospects for integrating the assessment of health impacts in the licensing process of large capital project in Brazil eng 2018 author De Souza Hacon Sandra author Santos Perisse André Reynaldo 814335 author Cantoreggi Nicola 107810 Nicola Luca Cantoreggi author Simos Jean 0000-0003-1340-5739 517585 author Winkler Mirko Severin 1-4 10.15171/ijhpm.2018.58 2322-5939 Brazil was one of the first countries in Latin America to institutionalize a National Environmental Policy in 1981, including the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process of economic activities with anticipated impacts on the environment. Today, EIA practice in Brazil comes with a number of limitations: it is constrained by its environmental advocacy role; application is strongly oriented towards large capital projects; and social responsibility considerations are only partially included. Consequently, EIA studies mainly address issues connected to localised and direct environmental impacts, largely ignoring any socio-economic and health impacts. This perspective paper highlights limitations of current EIA practice in Brazil with a focus on health considerations in impact assessment. While recognizing the positive impact to municipalities where large capital projects are being developed and operated, adverse impacts on health are a reality with measurable evidence in Brazil. Therefore, we argue that specificities on how to systematically assess and monitor potential health impacts cannot remain invisible in the Brazilian legislation, as currently seen in the reformulation of the licensing process in the country. The process of better integrating the assessment of health impacts in the licensing process of large capital project in Brazil must, however, not be based on the imposition of an external model but should be promoted by internal stakeholders from the environmental and health sector, incorporating the experiences gained in various case studies from all over the country. Health Impact Assessment Health Policy Large Capital Projects Brazil Dewey 613 66 Institut de santé globale 22A1 false International Journal of Health Policy and Management 7f84f005-904d-432c-873e-cc597c0c07f5 Article (Published version) Public 2018De_Souza_Challenges_Prospects.pdf 386129 application/pdf CC BY openAccess Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine clinique / Département de santé et médecine communautaires / Institut de santé globale

Title	Published in	Access level	OA Policy	Year	Views	Downloads

Challenges and prospects for integrating the assessment of health impacts in the licensing process of large capital project in Brazil	International Journal of Health Policy and Management			2018	542	289

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Santos Perisse, André Reynaldo