We used Brazil as a Global South case study to analyze the evolution of the coastal governance in a young and still unstable democracy. Based on twenty-five years of documentation related to a federal-level actor interaction hub named Coastal Management Integration Group (GIGERCO) we explored the opportunity context for the transformation of the Brazilian coastal governance system using a Theory of Transformative Agency to identify five periods of evolution. The coastal governance system shifted from an exploitation to a conservation phase (periods 1 to 3), where an increasing number of actors were getting to know the system and each other’s interests turned into a moment of higher stability and resistance to change. The mobilization of social capital and higher heterogeneity of actors allowed novel strategies to emerge, generating opportunities for structural changes from a conservation towards a release phase (period 4). We argue that the recent political changes in Brazil caused a rupture in such a flourishing coastal governance process (period 5), which is now at a critical juncture that may unfold into one of three envisioned alternative scenarios: conservative regime, a new integrated and ecosystem-based regime, or a remanent of past regime properties. Our paper informs coastal governance processes across the world, highlighting the dynamic nature of the interplay between alternative institutional entrepreneurship strategies, opportunity contexts, and innovations in governance systems.

Beaches are multidimensional ecosystems that develop relevant natural functions and host tourist activities of great economic value. Therefore, they are currently being subjected to severe human pressure and natural impacts often enhanced by climate change. Beach certification schemes (BCSs) were designed to bridge the gap between recreation and conservation uses. The aim of this paper is to assess the compatibility and potential contribution of nine Beach Classification Schemes (BCSs) used in Latin America with the Orla Project implemented in Brazil to optimize land use planning of coastal zones, including beaches. The weaknesses and strengths of each BCSs were assessed according to the criteria for integrated coastal zone management. As a result, four of the nine BCSs were found to be the most compatible with the context of Brazilian beaches (Ecuadorian, Colombian, Cuban, and Argentinean BCSs), indicating that BCSs can contribute to specific aspects of beach management, but they should not be the only management strategy. In conclusion, the strengths of the four BCSs identified in this study can be used to build a new management tool for Brazilian beaches aligned with the Orla Project—the main coastal planning and management instrument currently used.

In August 2019, an oil spill incident washed the coast in Brazil affecting some of the country’s most visited and preserved beaches in Northeast and Southeast. This paper argues that the influence of power disconnects delayed the proper actions. Power disconnects occur when the victims of environmental harm (residents of northeastern and southeastern Brazil) lack power to prevent it or, conversely, when those who do have the power to protect the environment (the Brazilian government and the international community) do not experience the costs of degradation. Although Brazil has emerged as an environmental leader in the international arena in the past, it has fallen behind on the improvements that are needed to prevent spills like this from affecting coastal communities and biodiversity in the future. Ultimately, as long as political injustices persist, ecological disasters will continue, and Governance will not improve.

O desafio nacional a partir da descoberta da promissora provincia petrolífera do pré-sal é estabelecer parâmetros que norteiem um desenvolvimento sustentável, com respeito ao meio ambiente e às populações locais. Em geral, os problemas dos países abundantes em petróleo decorrem da dificuldade no gerenciamento das rendas da produção. Nesse contexto, o presente artigo considera a aplicação dos royalties na zona costeira do país necessária e legítima. A partir de uma metodologia argumentativa, analisou-se a concentração da atividade petrolífera na costa, a natureza jurídica dos royalties, bem como a estrutura legislativa da divisão do recurso, a fim de contribuir com o debate sobre o rearranjo institucional dessa matéria. Conclui-se que a divisão igualitária dos recursos petrolíferos só é legítima após a retirada da parcela referente à mitigação dos impactos. Antes disso, tal divisão violaria os Princípios da Igualdade e do Poluidor-Pagador.