Extensão do Centro de Ecologia Funcional da Universidade de Coimbra na Universidade Aberta | Artigos em revistas internacionais / Papers in international journals
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- The human-nature relationship at the heart of the green transitionPublication . Alves, Fátima; Vidal, Diogo GuedesO texto apresenta uma leitura crítica da relação humano-natureza como eixo estruturante da transição ecológica, enquadrando-a num cenário de fenómenos socioecológicos interligados (perda de biodiversidade, insegurança alimentar, secas, incêndios, aumento de temperaturas, entre outros), com riscos sistémicos para a vida humana e não humana. Defende-se que o desafio central consiste em articular dinâmicas biofísicas e sistemas socioculturais de forma interdependente, sob o princípio de “não deixar ninguém para trás”, incluindo os elementos não humanos. É valorizado o papel de mecanismos democráticos de inovação e participação para lidar com a complexidade, ilustrando-se esta abordagem através do projeto PHOENIX, com pilotos em sete países europeus e um conjunto de tarefas orientadas para (re)significar natureza/ambiente, problematizar desigualdades e clima, e desenhar método e de monitorização do impacto.
- Public participation and climate change governance: between political approach and local actors’ perspective in two Macaronesian territoriesPublication . Mendonça, Ana Bijóias; Leal Filho, Walter; Alves, FátimaClimate change (CC) is the major current environmental challenge influencing the balance of ecosystems, livelihoods, social organization, public health, and well-being. The Autonomous Region of Madeira and the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, considered outermost regions (ORs), form part of continental countries (Portugal and Spain, respectively) and integrate Macaronesia. Due to their location and idiosyncratic characteristics, they are also particularly vulnerable to CC. Regional and local mitigation and adaptation plans and strategies are in force, but policies still do not respond to CC challenges or fully recognize or integrate public participation in their definition and implementation. This article investigates the relevance of public participation in CC policies and how it has been carried out by decision-makers. Thereby, it intends to understand the evolution of CC policies in the archipelagos of Madeira and the Canary Islands, as they have met the interests of relevant scientific, administrative, and economic actors, often underestimating the contributions of other actors, and how public involvement and participation is key to resolve socio-environmental issues in the territories. With this aim in mind, we have conducted a document analysis of the legislation, programs, and strategies on CC, complemented by 20 in-depth interviews, 10 in Madeira and 10 in Las Palmas of Gran Canaria, to a group of local actors, including scientists, technicians, and politicians. Our study shows that despite the efforts leveraged by European and national guidelines, the status quo prevails, with political and institutional arenas systematically keeping their distance from concrete realities of quotidian life. The results show evidence that at international, supranational, and national levels, and at regional/local levels, CC policies often perpetuate domain ties, sectoral and private interests, and are outlined according to narratives not accessible to all actors. Therefore, discourses—political, academic, and corporate—prolong power relations and knowledge that express an institutionalised truth. Thus, we argue that proximity governance is crucial to raise awareness of socio-environmental problems, complement existing knowledge, incite action, and empower local communities. This means that without a collaborative endeavor to boost the required changes, individually and collectively, CC policies might be difficult to implement.
- Beekeeping in Europe facing climate change: a mixed methods study on perceived impacts and the need to adapt according to stakeholders and beekeepersPublication . Van Espen, Marie; Williams, James H.; Alves, Fátima; Hung, Yung; Graaf, Dirk C. de; Verbeke, WimThe beekeeping sector is suffering from the detrimental effects of climate change, both directly and indirectly. Despite numerous studies conducted on this subject, large-scale research incorporating stakeholders' and beekeepers' perspectives has remained elusive. This study aims to bridge this gap by assessing the extent to which stakeholders involved in the European beekeeping sector and European beekeepers perceive and experience the impacts of climate change on their operations, and whether they had to adapt their practices accordingly. To this end, a mixed-methods study including in-depth stakeholder interviews (n = 41) and a pan-European beekeeper survey (n = 844) was completed within the frame of the EU-funded H2020-project B-GOOD. The development of the beekeeper survey was informed by insights from literature and the stakeholder interviews. The results highlighted significant regional disparities in the perceived impacts of climate change, with beekeepers in Southern European regions expressing more negative outlooks, while Northern European beekeepers reported more favourable experiences. Furthermore, survey analysis revealed beekeepers who were classified as ‘heavily impacted’ by climate change. These beekeepers reported lower average honey yields, higher colony winter loss rates and a stronger perceived contribution of honey bees to pollination and biodiversity, underscoring climate change's detrimental impacts on the beekeeping sector. Multinomial logistic regression revealed determinants of the likelihood of beekeepers being classified as ‘heavily impacted’ by climate change. This analysis indicates that Southern European beekeepers experienced a 10-fold likelihood of being classified as heavily impacted by climate change compared to Northern European beekeepers. Other significant factors distinguishing ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ were self-reported level of professionalism as a beekeeper (ranging from pure hobbyist to fully professional, Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.31), number of years active in beekeeping (OR = 1.02), availability of floral resources throughout the bee season (OR = 0.78), beehives located in a forested environment (OR = 1.34), and the presence of local policy measures addressing climate change-related challenges (OR = 0.76).
- Doenças transmitidas por vetores num contexto de alterações climáticas: antecipando riscos para uma melhor preparação dos territórios: estudo de caso da região de Coimbra, PortugalPublication . Alves, Fátima; Leal, Cátia; Vidal, Diogo GuedesOs crescentes impactos das alterações climáticas irão resultar, num futuro próximo, num aumento na morbilidade associada a algumas doenças sensíveis ao clima, como as doenças vetoriais. As temperaturas mais elevadas, as mudanças na precipitação e as mudanças na variabilidade climática podem alterar as fronteiras ou os limites geográficos e a sazonalidade da transmissão das doenças infeciosas transmitidas por vetores. Este artigo avalia o impacto que a alterações climáticas terão no aumento das doenças transmitidas por vetores na região de Coimbra, no centro de Portugal. Os dados obtidos apontam para um aumento de morbilidade de determinadas doenças sensíveis ao clima, como por exemplo as doenças infeciosas transmitidas por vetores, em particular, as doenças transmitidas por mosquitos, flebótomos e carraças, bem como a malária, o dengue, a doença de Lyme, com potencial importância na região de Coimbra. A Malária é uma doença endémica do passado na região, e associada aos campos de arroz e à área estuarina da bacia do Mondego, sendo a temperaturas elevadas muito favorável para a sua propagação, constituindo-se um risco futuro. Neste contexto, são necessárias medidas de adaptação, de carácter essencialmente preventivo e intersetorial.
- Promover territórios resilientes e saudáveis num clima em mudança: impactos das alterações climáticas na saúde humana numa região vulnerável do sul da EuropaPublication . Alves, Fátima; Leal, Cátia; Vidal, Diogo GuedesCom o objetivo de analisar os impactos das alterações climáticas sobre a mortalidade humana numa das regiões do sul da europa com os cenários projeções e projeções socioecológicas mais pessimistas, a região de Coimbra, no Centro de Portugal, o estudo considerou os dados relativos às ondas de calor e de frio extremo, disponibilizados no IPMA, no Portal do Clima e no IPCC, e os dados de morbilidade e de mortalidade, disponíveis no INE, ocorridos na mesma região durante um período de 35 anos (entre 1982-2017). Os resultados revelam que a mortalidade aumenta com a intensidade ou maior duração das ondas de calor ou de frio extremo, sendo exacerbadas em ambientes urbanos pelo chamado efeito de ilha de calor, no caso das ondas de calor, afetando especialmente grupos vulnerabilizados. O agravamento das consequências expressas ao nível da morbilidade e mortalidade resultam deste agravamento e instabilidade das condições biofísicas em resultado das alterações climáticas, bem como das condições de vida, das privações socioeconómicas e das desigualdades no acesso aos serviços de saúde. As alterações climáticas apresentam-se como uma questão de saúde pública, inadiável e que exigem políticas que tenham em conta todos estes fatores e seus impactos exacerbados nos grupos de risco.
- Improving ecosystem services through applied agroecology on german farms: costs and benefitsPublication . Wenzel, Bettina; Winkler, Julian; Kirchner, Sascha M.; Junge, Stephan Martin; Mendonça, Pedro; Alves, Fátima; Kehlenbeck, HellaUnder the EU’s new “Farm to Fork” strategy, crop production systems should rapidly become more environmentally friendly. In particular, by adopting agroecological measures that support functional biodiversity and improve ecosystem services for crop production, this paper contributes to the ongoing efforts in characterizing the socio-economic effects that the upscaling of these measures entails, by looking into two key measures: flower strips and mulching. One important socio-economic aspect of their adoption is their potential impact on agricultural income; however, knowledge on costs and benefits of measures enhancing functional biodiversity at the farm level is still limited. In order to improve these shortcomings our approach makes use of data from field experiments completed with interviews to provide cost–benefit results for flower strips and organic mulching. The estimations show that for “flower strips,” on average costs could be covered by compensation payments. Regarding the in-crop measure “organic mulching,” the benefits potentially outweigh the costs under the frame conditions of organic agriculture. The analysis also highlights some obstacles and knowledge gaps in the estimation of benefits, especially for off-crop measures like flower strips.
- Interculturality in the development of technology-mediated courses for massive health education: a systematic reviewPublication . Cunha, Priscila Sanara; Brabalho, Ingridy Marina Pierre; Fernandes, Filipe Ricardo dos Santos; Romão, Manoel Honorio; Valentim, Janina Luana Rodrigues da Silva; Coutinho, Karla Mônica Dantas; Araújo, Kaline Sampaio de; Valentim, Ricardo Alexsandro de Medeiros; Dias, Aline de Pinho; Baptista, Natalia Araújo do Nascimento; Silva, José Adailton da; Clemente, Heleni Aires; Alves, Fátima; Coutinho, Karilany DantasVirtual Learning Environments have become innovative tools in health professionals education. Through Massive Open Online Courses, they enable different ways of connecting with knowledge, facilitating study autonomy, interaction, and closer alignment with professional practices and the context of course participants. MOOCs comprise an educational strategy for many fields, including health. As they educate health professionals about a variety of practices, MOOCs play a crucial role in interculturality by enabling professionals to approach cultural diversity in work settings. This study provides a review of the literature investigating the element of interculturality in the production of healthcare-related MOOCs intended for a variety of audiences, including practicing healthcare professionals, healthcare professional trainees, and the general public. Based on a systematic review protocol, we searched for peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2023 in Science Direct, PubMed, ERIC, and Scopus. Fifteen studies were selected for final analysis, which highlighted MOOC development, its underlying processes, and its importance in promoting health and social well-being. MOOCs have (1) provided new approaches to technology-mediated learning in distance health education, (2) aided training, (3) disseminated knowledge, and (4) promoted interculturality. Continuous collaboration and innovation in MOOC development are essential to ensure their effectiveness and relevance in the contemporary educational scenario.
- Socio-economic characterization of Portuguese kiwi growers: facing current social and sustainability challengesPublication . Alves, Fátima; Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Bica, João; Castro, Paula Cristina de OliveiraThis paper reports a socio-economic characterization of the Portuguese kiwifruit sector. A survey was applied between 2019 and 2020 to a sample of 94 kiwifruit farmers (males 76%, females 24%). 72 percent of the participants declare that kiwi cultivation is a complementary occupation characterized by an intergenerational pattern (25.6%). Almost 70 percent of the orchards are under 5 ha, and 26.8 percent declare that their company does not have a positive turnover. The labour force is mainly seasonal. Regarding the challenges, 21.1 percent struggle with disease control in their orchards and 19.0 percent have difficulty in finding workers. The findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the socio-economic dynamics underpinning kiwifruit cultivation in Portugal, offering insights for policy interventions and sectoral development strategies.
- Voices of the absent: the agency of nature and future in climate regenerationPublication . Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Alves, FátimaThis paper contends that conventional participatory approaches are increasingly insufficient to address the complexity of the climate crisis and advocates for expanding climate deliberation to include, in addition to marginalized groups, representatives of Nature and Future Generations. It asserts that recognizing these “absent” stakeholders necessitates a departure from anthropocentric governance, facilitated by legal and ethical innovations such as Rights of Nature frameworks and intergenerational equity. Drawing on insights from the EU H2020 Phoenix project and its proposed Territorial Commissions for Co-Design, the analysis demonstrates that while actors may express willingness in principle, they frequently lack practical mechanisms for selection and representation. For Nature, obstacles encompass the lack of legal personhood, challenges in communication and representation, and conflicts between ecological integrity and economic interests. For Future Generations, impediments include short-term political horizons, limited voice and representation, and the difficulty of equitably balancing present and future needs. The paper advances a flexible, context-sensitive model that integrates institutional reform with sociocultural transformation, including adaptive communication strategies and the incorporation of local, traditional, and ancestral knowledge. It concludes that regenerative climate governance relies on ongoing reflection, culturally responsive decision-making spaces, and sustained collaborative action that accommodates historically excluded interests.
- Natures instead of nature—plural perceptions and representations of nature and its challenges for ecological transition: a systematic review of the scientific productionPublication . Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Alves, Fátima; Valentim, Cristina Sá; Freitas, HelenaBackground Recognizing nature and the environment as sociocultural constructions is critical to enhancing a transformational ecological change. This involves understanding their diverse sociocultural meanings and societal approaches and how these understandings affect equitable ecological transitions. We reviewed empirical studies and essays, categorizing 161 studies into three main categories: opposition, domination, and interdependencies, reflecting varying knowledge, power dynamics, cultures, and contexts. These studies aim to uncover how societies conceptualize, explain, and engage with nature and the environment, shaping society–nature relationships and influencing ecological transitions. Results This study underscores the diverse perceptions and representations of nature, from a controllable resource to an integrated web of life. Three main categories emerged: (i) nature against society, in a logic of opposition; (ii) nature subordinated to society, in a logic of domination, although integrated into society; and (iii) nature united with society, in a logic of interdependence. Thus, this study advocates discussing “natures” as sociocultural constructs, highlighting the plurality of social perceptions and representations, which can inform policies and challenge socio-political and socio-economic systems. Conclusions This review may pave the way to, first, give visibility and value that diversity and plurality as an instrument that can enrich policies and defy socio-political and socio-economic systems to change and, second, identify the main drivers and resistances that the implementation of an ecological transformation change may face in different sociocultural contexts.
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