Environmental municipal system: advances and challenges

Abstract

After Brazilian 1988 Federal Constitution, the role of local governments is evolving from being seen as mere provider of services to being the local development agents. In this context, they must assume their constitutional role of looking after the environment, taking the decision of becoming involved in this matter and to qualify themselves by establishing a Environment Municipal System - SISMUMA. The SISMUMA is a group of municipal agencies and entities responsible for the preservation, conservation, protection, defense, improvement, restoration and control of the environment and appropriate use of the environmental resources of the municipality. This system is a political-administrative structure that ultimately aims at the integration of the environmental component in the local decision-making process, through the formulation, implementation and evaluation of environmental policies and integration with other policies. This is done considering the reality and potentiality of each region, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. This article aims to characterize and contextualize the SISMUMA in Brazil, discussing its strategic role in municipal governance for the sustainability, role known as an articulation and negotiation process which reinforces the environmental integration component in the local decision-making , and consequently in the local development process.