Brazil has one of the largest mangrove surfaces worldwide. Due to a wide latitudinal distribution, Brazilian mangroves can be found within a large range of environmental conditions. However, little attention has been given to the description of environmental variables driving the distribution of mangrove species in Brazil. In this study, we present a novel and unprecedented description of environmental conditions for all mangroves along the Brazilian coast focusing on species limits. We apply a descriptive statistics and data-driven approach using Self-Organizing Maps and we combine data from terrestrial and marine environmental geodatabases in a Geographical Information System. We evaluate 25 environmental variables (21 bioclimatic variables, three sea surface temperature derivates, and salinity). The results reveal three groups of correlated variables: (i) air temperature derivates and sea surface temperature derivates; (ii) air temperature, potential evapotranspiration and precipitation derivates; and (iii) precipitation derivates, aridity and salinity. Our results unveil new locations of extreme values of temperature and precipitation. We conclude that Rhizophora harrisonii and Rhizophora racemosa are more limited by precipitation and aridity and that they do not necessarily follow a latitudinal gradient. Our data also reveal that the lowest air temperatures of the coldest month are not necessarily found at the southernmost limits of mangroves in Brazil; instead they are localized at the Mesoregion of Vale do Itajaí. However, the minimum sea surface temperature drops gradually with higher latitudes in the Brazilian southern hemisphere and is probably a better indicator for the decrease of species at the latitudinal limits of mangroves than the air temperature and precipitation.

The 2030 Agenda framework represents an opportunity for the co-development of local indicators and shares the same principles of cross-sectoral integration and universality as the water–energy–food nexus. This research aimed to develop a quantitative-collaborative methodology for constructing indicators and indexes for the sustainability of the Cerrado and Caatinga Brazilian biomes, considering the connection and synergies between the Nexus perspective and the 2030 Agenda’s SDG–target framework. The study was applied in 2,512 municipalities that make up the total of the mentioned biomes. The methodology consists of four major blocks: i) identification and construction of indicators based on the association of them with one or more 2030 Agenda’s targets, in a collaborative way from expert groups; ii) generation of weights by an indicator considering leverage, according to the number of target assignments, and importance, attributed by experts for each indicator to the target; iii) generation of sustainable development goal indexes, considering the performance of the SDGs; Nexus performance, considering different weights between the SDGs; Nexus synergistic, the standard deviation between the SDGs; and Nexus overall, a combination of the last two; and iv) sensitivity analysis for performance indexes considering the assignment of zero values to the governance indicators. In general, the regions of MATOPIBA, northern and western of Cerrado and the Caatinga, are, on average, the areas of greatest vulnerability. The targets that respond to this inequality are related to eradicating hunger, sustainable and climate-resilient production systems, universal access to water, water quality, efficiency of multiple water uses, access to energy, and the participation of renewable energies. We found that in areas of better average nexus performance, there is also greater inequality between nexus dimensions; therefore, the Nexus overall index is penalized. The federal units and areas with the worst Nexus dimension performances and with insufficient governance measures are north and northwest of Bahia and municipalities bordering the State of Tocantins—food; Maranhão and Piauí, northeast of Mato Grosso, northwest of Goiás, Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba—water; and Maranhão, extreme southeast of Pará, and more sparsely in Paraíba—energy.

Inadequate land use planning is one of the main driving forces leading to the occurrence of erosion and environmental degradation. The negative impacts of poor planning influence soil physical quality and fertility, agricultural productivity, water quality and availability, biodiversity and other ecosystem services. In some areas, actual land use is not consistent with potential use. When this occurs, the area is termed as being in environmental land use conflict. Many studies have demonstrated the efficiency of the ruggedness number (RN) method for determining land use potential in watersheds. The RN method is simple and can be carried out using geographic information systems (GIS). However, the absence of potential land use or agricultural land suitability assessments is recurrent in territorial management plans or integrated water resources plans (IWRP), especially for macroscale river basins. Therefore, the aim of this preliminary study is to identify possible environmental land use conflicts at the Rio Grande Basin (BHRG), Brazil, using the Ruggedness Number. The results indicate high agricultural use potential and the predominance of appropriate or acceptable soil use at the BHRG. However, class 1, 2 and 3 environmental conflicts were identified in some Rio Grande sub-basins, suggesting greater environmental degradation risks. The findings clearly indicate that more exhaustive studies on environmental quality (soil capability, water, biodiversity) are required at the BHRG, especially in environmental land use conflict areas. We emphasize that this is an important preliminary study which may be carried out in any other macroscale hydrographic basin.

O governo brasileiro possui três sistemas oficiais de monitoramento por satélite da supressão da vegetação nativa dos biomas brasileiros, concebidos e executados pelo Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), por meio do Programa de Monitoramento dos Biomas Brasileiros (BiomasBR): 1) o Prodes – Monitoramento Anual da Supressão de Vegetação Nativa; 2) o Deter - Monitoramento Diário da Supressão e Degradação de Vegetação Nativa; e 3) o TerraClass - Monitoramento Sistêmico da Cobertura e Uso da Terra, este em colaboração com a Empresa Brasileira de Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Neste artigo são apresentadas as principais características de cada um destes sistemas, os resultados mais recentes do monitoramento da vegetação nativa brasileira, as principais políticas públicas baseadas no BiomasBR e o papel do programa no cumprimento dos compromissos climáticos internacionais assumidos pelo país.

Objective: This study aims to understand the conceptual and typological relationships between Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and Water Security (WS), as well as their applications and the identification of gaps in the implementation of NbS for WS. Theoretical Framework: The research is grounded in the concepts of Nature-Based Solutions and Water Security, providing a solid foundation for understanding the investigation's context. Method: The methodology adopted for this research encompasses a qualitative approach, including a narrative literature review and case studies at different scales. Secondary data were collected from relevant international grey literature and scientific articles. Results and Discussion: The findings indicate that NbS and WS concepts are interconnected and that these solutions can mitigate issues related to the regulation of water quality and quantity, as well as extreme impacts such as floods. However, their effectiveness depends on various factors, such as local landscape composition, ecosystem understanding, and integrated water resource management. Research Implications: The study suggests the need for further research involving approaches that integrate NbS with WS across different implementation scales. Originality/Value: This research contributes to a deeper understanding and reflection on the relationships between NbS and WS, both conceptually and typologically, advancing the understanding of these relationships for more effective NbS implementations in addressing diverse water-related challenges. Such understanding is increasingly necessary given the intensification of climate change, soil degradation, and the decline of water bodies.