Environmental Health
Perception and Vulnerability to Climate Change: A Multivariate Analysis of Latin American Countries
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Gabriela Azócar, Anahí Urquiza
Research on climate change shows the relevance of this phenomenon and its diverse consequences. From this recognition, it is possible to develop decision making processes to cope with it. The design of socioenvironmental policies requires the commitment of the population as a whole in the definition of actions to minimize impacts of climate change on the health of people, production systems, and ecosystems. Within this framework, we understand as vulnerability the low preparation levels of countries to cope with the negative impacts of climate change. Vulnerability is related with high exposure to climate change effects, as well as high sensitivity to its impacts and low adaptation capability to cope with them. In this context, we uphold the hypothesis that vulnerability levels of countries to climate change are correlated to the populations capabilities to perceive this phenomenon and to promote it as a relevant issue into the public agenda. To prove this correlation, we will analyze the variables of climate change perception of Latinobarometro study and the ND-GAIN Country Index results on its vulnerability dimension. Through a multivariate statistical analysis, we will present a cluster of Latin American countries based on their behavior in different indicators of the ND-GAIN Country Index. From these analyses, we will problematize the results of Latinobarometro indicators directly related to climate change perception. We will conclude with the identification of intervention necessities focalized on strengthening the adaptation capabilities on countries reflected on this cluster, visualizing the development of differentiated policies for countries on this region.
Globalization and Policy Learning through Public Private Partnership: The Case of Waste of Energy in Indonesia
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Nariswari Khairanisa Nurjaman
Globalization took part in mainstreaming the importance of alternative energy resources. The search for more efficient energy recovery has stimulated development technologies to process waste more effectively. Hence, developed countries worldwide have started to turn waste into electricity through a process known as Waste to Energy (WtE). This practice has been spreading globally, as shown by 431 WtE plants in Europe and 89 plants in the United States that were established by 2015. Going forward, developing countries, including Indonesia, are keen to adopt similar solution for challenges related to waste management. This research analyzes the process and potentials of public private partnership (PPP) for WtE as a manifestation of UN’s sustainable development goal 17 that aims to strengthen the global partnership for sustainable development. As the biggest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has limited fiscal capacity to fund its infrastructure development in order to achieve a minimum 7% growth rate to be considered as a developed country in 2025. Taking the case of Indonesia, this research will focus on how the Indonesian Government learns to adopt PPP mechanism with the assistance of numerous multilateral institutions to support the implementation of waste to energy project. This research argues that prudent regulation and proper capacity building are two important factors that can support policy learning process for the implementation of public private partnership. This is useful for assessing how development is perceived in developing countries and how multi-trajectories of modernizations may face resistance in spite of the significance.
