Perspectivas de desenvolvimento sustentável para o setor florestal na América Latina

Abstract

Nowadays the sustainable development proposals represent a keystone in discussions of the actual meaning of the progress and social/economic development and welfare. The urgency for alternatives established by environmental and natural resources crises has induced the search for new strategies that must represent continually solution without threatening the sustainability of productive activities. The perspectives for sustainable development of the Latin American forest sector, specifically pulp and paper, is closed related to: the establishment of politic negotiation and trading procedures amongst this productive segment and other representative society actors; the understanding to these enterprises in a broader scale, where they must be completely integrated in multisectorial regional development programs. Also, it is very important to consider regional and local features related to social, economic and environmental states and functions. Specially considering Latin American societies it is essential to evaluate the whole process over an historic and contextual perspective. The state-of-the-art in science and technology allows the development of new concepts in management and exploitation of natural resources, although one must considers the intrinsic uncertainty levels. The sustainable management, represented by environmental processes management procedures, represents an actual alternative for transition to models of enhanced sustainability. Environmental planning programs, together with dynamic and flexible management procedures, constitute available tools to implement and improve forest and environmental management strategies.