This book aims to present research carried out by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and its partners regarding United Nations? Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), whose title is Life below water. This goal is part of a set of 17 goals agreed upon in 2015 by the UN member states, as part of a plan of action to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure that people achieve peace and prosperity: the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. | Translated by Paulo de Holanda Morais.

En el presente trabajo se discutirá los enfoques utilizados en Estados Unidos para conservar los recursos naturales en las tierras privadas. Para analizarlo serán cubiertas cinco áreas que son las siguientes: 1) las ganancias de la productividad agrícola y los impactos benéficos y adversos en el ambiente; 2) el establecimiento de alianzas federales, estatales y locales para implementar el concepto de la conservación del suelo y el agua; 3) la toma de conciencia de la necesidad de conservar los suelos, agua y otros recursos naturales de la nación a través de programas de incentivos flexibles; 4) instrumentos técnicos de apoyo a la implementación de estos programas; y 5) la creación de programas estatales

This study examines how environmental issues have been addressed in the water sector in Brazil, within the context of activities of the Federal Government, generally, and those implemented under Bank sector operations, in particular. The core focus of the study lies in the management of water quality, as it affects both the users of raw water, and those who are primarily concerned with the disposal of wastewater. The report considers the following three sectoral areas concomitantly - water resources management, water supply and sanitation, and, the environment - thus limiting its review, and focus to those themes which are key to the over-arching issue of water quality. Water resources management in the country relied upon heavy investments in medium, and large scale projects that provided basic infrastructure for water uses. However, these have produced questionable impacts in terms of reducing poverty, and inequality. One of the reasons for this, has been the poor infrastructure management, which despite its importance, has been largely underestimated. While improvements in the utilization of existing infrastructure in the water sector remain critical, it needs to be complemented by incentives to both service providers, and water users. Moreover, low economic, environmental, and social returns from investments in the water sector, reflect the tendency to distract attention from the objectives in the design, and implementation of projects. Thus, an assessment of water quality goals is required, which should be based on systematic evaluations of the costs, and benefits of reaching alternative standards, and explicit social objectives.

Caracteristicas del distrito, proceso de ocupacion del area agricola, recursos y actividades productivas, usos de suelo en el ambitol rural, carateristicas del habitat y organizacion social

Resumen Los indicadores ambientales son de suma importancia porque proveen información cuantitativa y cualitativa para evaluar el uso, disponibilidad y alteración de los recursos naturales. El presente ensayo tuvo como objetivo revisar del año 2006 a 2018 indicadores ambientales con un enfoque espacial y temporal, utilizados para evaluar la condición del ambiente. Posteriormente, se clasificó la información consultada en tres grupos principales de indicadores de agua, suelo y vegetación. Después se determinó las potencialidades de los diferentes métodos de indicadores ambientales, dentro de estos hallazgos relevantes se observó que cada metodología depende de la calidad de la información y de los objetivos de cada estudio. Dentro de las metodologías analizadas las de mayor relevancia por la precisión de sus resultados obtenidos, fueron los índices de vegetación y análisis multicriterio, ya que permite percibir explícitamente los parámetros de la zona que han sido modificados por actividades humanas. Se concluye que las metodologías de indicadores ambientales dependen del aspecto espacio-temporales y la calidad de los datos, así como del recurso natural a evaluar. | Abstract Environmental indicators are of the utmost importance because they provide quantitative and qualitative information to assess the use, availability and alteration of natural resources. The objective of this essay was to review from 2006 to 2018 environmental indicators with a spatial and temporal approach, used to assess the environmental condition. Subsequently, the information consulted was classified into three main groups of water, soil and vegetation indicators. After the potentialities of the different methods of environmental indicators were determined, within these relevant findings it was observed that each methodology depends on the quality of the information and the objectives of each study. Among the methodologies analyzed, the most relevant due to the precision of their results, were the indices of vegetation and multicriteria analysis, since it allows to explicitly perceive the parameters of the area that have been modified by human activities. It is concluded that the environmental indicators methodologies depend on the spatio-temporal aspect and the quality of the data, as well as the natural resource to be evaluated.

This report has been prepared under contract to and fully funded by the Office of Biological Services of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The goals and purpose of this federal office are to review the impact on fish and wildlife resources of land, mineral and water development practices, such as offshore oil and gas exploration, development and production; construction of inshore pipeline canals and refineries; power plant construction/operation and urban development. This report, and five other southern California reports, covering Carpinteria Marsh (Santa Barbara County), Anaheim Bay-Huntington Harbor (Orange County), Mugu Lagoon (Ventura County), the Northern Santa Barbara County CoastalWetlands, and the Nipomo Dunes and Wetlands (San Luis Obispo County), are scheduled to be part of the Department's "Coastal Wetland Series" (see inside front cover). (154 pp.)