This article is a study on accessibility to urban parks in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, which aims to investigate how different social classes access these spaces. For this purpose, a methodology that considers travel times was used to determine the spatial accessibility of places/locations, considering the spatial distribution of nine urban parks and evaluating the performance of walking, cycling, and public transport. To calculate and determine accessibility considering the cost of travel in terms of time, the RStudio software was used through the {r5r} package. Spatial opportunity maps of socioeconomic groups were generated by crossing with the accessibility data previously calculated, with the income information per hexagon, the distribution of accessibility of the population of each income level was calculated, and the weighting of the accessibility level was made. The distribution of accessibility of people located in the origins of a certain income decile was obtained, generating graphs according to travel time (30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes). The analysis highlights significant inequality in access to urban parks in Porto Alegre. Accessibility on foot is the most restricted and unequal, benefiting mainly central areas and higher income classes. Although cycling increases the reach of parks compared to walking, it still faces significant inequalities. Public transportation emerges as the most equitable mode, offering the greatest coverage and potentially reducing disparities.
The decentralisation of health competences in Portugal was launched with the aim of bringing decision-making closer to local realities and strengthening municipalities' role in promoting population well-being. A regulatory framework introduced between 2018-2019 enabled the transfer of specific responsibilities from central government to local governments. However, by 2022, only around a quarter of eligible municipalities had accepted these competences, highlighting the existence of structural, political, and financial barriers to reform. While the effects of decentralisation on health system have been widely studied, there remains limited empirical evidence on the factors that influence local jurisdictions' willingness to assume new responsibilities. Addressing this gap, the present study analyses 201 eligible Portuguese mainland municipalities over the 2020-2022 period, modelling acceptance decisions based on demographic, political, financial, and health-related variables through binary logistic regression. Findings reveal that acceptance was more likely in municipalities politically aligned with the central government, with greater per capita financial resources, and with younger population profiles. In addition, regional dynamics emerged as an important contextual factor. These results highlight the need for decentralisation processes to account for territorial diversity, funding adequacy, and local capacity-building in order to ensure equitable and effective implementation.
In Small Island Developing States (SIDS), tourism is often presented as a driver of economic growth, but it may also reinforce structural vulnerabilities, such as external dependence and limited economic diversification. This article critically analyses the tourism development model in Sao Tome and Principe, an island country that exemplifies this paradox. Based on a qualitative and interpretative methodology, 22 semi-structured interviews and a focus group were conducted with institutional actors, private operators, non-governmental organisations, and international experts. The analysis reveals the coexistence of two contrasting models: on the island of S & atilde;o Tom & eacute;, a hybrid and fragmented system with several disconnected regional poles; and on the island of Pr & iacute;ncipe, an exogenous model focused on sustainability and luxury tourism. This duality results in an asymmetrical development pattern overall, aligns with models characterised by the absence of a coherent national strategy. As a response, the article proposes the Integrated and Sustainable Development Model for S & atilde;o Tom & eacute; and Pr & iacute;ncipe (MDIS-STP), grounded in strong governance and the articulation of four strategic pillars: tourism, agriculture, the blue economy, and regional logistics. This model aims to promote more balanced and resilient development and is potentially adaptable to other SIDS.
In light of the increasing demand for methodological frameworks that underpin the conservation of landscape diversity, particularly within physiographic contexts that have been historically undervalued, such as tropical drylands, the River Styles methodology emerges as a significant approach. This methodology aims to generate a comprehensive set of spatialized information that addresses the systemic interplay of regional and local controls in shaping processual and morphological responses across drainage systems. Furthermore, it facilitates a deeper understanding of the functionality, maintenance, preservation, and sustainable management of fluvial environments. This study applies the River Styles methodology to a semi-arid basin in Northeastern Brazil, where the relationships between channel patterns and the formation of aggradation landforms is still poorly explored by the geomorphological literature. Seven distinct fluvial typologies were identified, grounded in the predominant physiographical, environmental, and processual characteristics of the area. The river styles delineated herein can serve as a valuable reference for the assessment and classification of other basins within the Brazilian semi-arid domain, as well as for comparative analysis with other semi-arid tropical regions situated in similar passive continental margin contexts.
preservation of coastal zones in tourist regions is essential for maintaining sensitive ecosystems and ensuring socioeconomic sustainability. Internationally significant destinations along the northeastern Brazilian coast face increasing anthropogenic pressures and legislative gaps that threaten their ecological integrity. This article examines the legal evolution of Brazil's Forest Codes (Laws 4.771/1965, 7.511/1986, and 12.651/2012), focusing on coastal areas, and compares two municipalities with distinct coastal dynamics and types of Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs): Barreirinhas (Maranh & atilde;o) and Valenga (Bahia). The methodology included: (I) a theoretical review; (II) analysis of the legal framework; (III) PPAs mapping in accordance with legal criteria; and (IV) a comparative land-use analysis (1990-2023) using MapBiomas data. The results show divergent trends: in Barreirinhas, the PPAs reduced their area from 677.5km2 to 649.6km2 (-4%), while anthropogenic activities (agriculture, urbanization, and bare soil) increased from 27.7km2 to 30.3km2 (from 10% to 13.3%). In Valenga, the PPAs expanded their area from 161.1 km2 to 228.6km2 (42%); however, inadequate land uses within protected areas also increased, indicating weaknesses in conservation effectiveness. The study concludes that PPA delineation must integrate hydrological, ecological, and ecosystem-based criteria, including salt flats, saline areas, mobile dunes, and riparian zones at the national level. This approach, supported by global scientific evidence, is urgently needed to preserve critical coastal ecosystems, particularly in high-impact tourism regions.
