Abstract The ocean is a unique system connecting ecological, economic, social, and cultural components, through which goods and services regulate the planetary condition and support the development of mankind. However, its increasing use has followed the exponential growth of the global economic system, outpacing humanity’s ability to develop the knowledge necessary to establish a basis for its proper use. Hence, there is an added perception that our necessary knowledge about the functioning of the ocean for its appropriate planning and management, advances at a slow pace, with which the ocean would be losing quality and sustainability. Systemic views of the ocean tend to highlight dominant components and processes instead of structural details, establishing a quality shortcut to the knowledge where society can understand current and future ocean conditions. To achieve the desired ocean health and sustainability, we propose the formation of a base of knowledge of the marine and coastal environments, capable of supporting best practices and policies for planning and management. We drew from the interdisciplinary research developed by the Brazilian research group “Ecosystem-Based Marine and Coastal Management (Eco-MCM), ” which has been developing projects based on three fundamental steps: (1) systemic analysis of the marine and coastal environments, highlighting their ecosystems, ecosystem services, social and economic benefits produced by the services and the stakeholders benefited; (2) modeling of the studied systems, and (3) propositional phase to incorporate models to support the practices and policies for their planning, management, and governance. As such, they are aligned with the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) challenges and outcomes.

Estabelecida tardiamente em comparação ao cenário internacional, a gestão ambiental portuária no Brasil ocorre principalmente com base nos processos de licenciamento ambiental. As condicionantes destes processos licenciatórios refletem o quanto a gestão não está embasada no planejamento ambiental, mas na mitigação de impactos já existentes. Além disso, a gestão ambiental ocorre de forma fragmentada e descompassada com o desenvolvimento portuário, sendo necessárias políticas nacionais que permitam articular os processos produtivos portuários com sustentabilidade ambiental. Este artigo descreve os resultados de um diagnóstico detalhado dos processos de gestão e planejamento ambiental do Porto do Rio Grande, RS - Brasil, enquanto elemento representativo do subsetor portuário brasileiro, cujo modelo de gestão ambiental ainda é fragmentado e de implementação incipiente. Este trabalho reflete a experiência da primeira autora no âmbito da Divisão de Meio Ambiente, Saúde e Segurança do Trabalho no Porto do Rio Grande (DMASS). Ele foi desenvolvido com base em uma metodologia de pesquisa qualitativa que se utilizou de sistematização documental e entrevistas estruturadas com os principais atores envolvidos nas ações de gestão e planejamento ambiental portuário em âmbito nacional e local. Como ferramentas metodológicas, as vivências institucionais na DMASS demonstraram-se positivas para a realização de uma avaliação qualitativa crítica dos processos de gestão ambiental portuária. As entrevistas, por sua vez, permitiram um maior embasamento sobre temas de políticas públicas ambientais e governança dentro da conjuntura portuária, tornando-se peça chave para corroborar com as informações levantadas ao longo da pesquisa. Por fim, com base nesta análise, o trabalho relata as fragilidades, desafios e potencialidades da gestão ambiental portuária no Porto do Rio Grande, que permitem dar suporte às tomadas de decisão em nível local e, concomitantemente, contribuir para melhorias dos processos de gestão ambiental nos demais portos brasileiros.

Lately established when compared to the international scenario, the port environmental management in Brazil is mainly based on the processes of environmental licensing. The conditions of these license processes reflect how management is not related to environmental planning, but instead in mitigating existing impacts. In addition, environmental management occurs in a fragmented way and not in phase with port development, arising the need of national policies that allow connections between port processes with environmental sustainability. This article describes the results of a detailed diagnosis of the processes of environmental planning and management of the Port of Rio Grande, RS - Brazil, as a representative of the Brazilian port subsector, whose model of environmental management is still fragmented and barely implemented. The work also reflects the experience of the first author who acted for some time under the Division of Environment, Health and Safety in the Port of Rio Grande (DMASS). It was developed based on a qualitative research methodology applied to document analyses and semi-structured interviews with key actors involved in the actions of port planning and management environmental at national and local levels. The institutional experiences at DMASS was shown as a positive methodological tool for conducting the qualitative assessment of the critical processes related to port environmental management. The interviews, in turn, permitted a better basis on issues of public policy and environmental governance within the port environment, becoming a key part to corroborate the information gathered during the research. Finally, based on this analysis, the paper describes the weaknesses, challenges and potential of port environmental management at the Port of Rio Grande, which can allow support to decision-making at the local level and, at the same time, to contribute to the improvements of environmental management processes in other Brazilian ports.

Este artigo trata dos desafios trazidos pela implementação de reformas portuárias a partir da Lei de Modernização dos Portos (Lei nº 8.630/93). Entre eles, está o da gestão ambiental, ainda não adequadamente incorporada ao sistema portuário brasileiro. As iniciativas de gestão ambiental não fazem parte do setor de planejamento portuário, levando a ações desarticuladas e reativas, fruto da visão que considera a regulamentação ambiental um fator que ameaça a competitividade das empresas. Para os autores, a adequação às normas ambientais traz oportunidades de melhoria para o negócio portuário. O artigo apresenta panoramas da gestão ambiental portuária nacional e internacional, assim como exemplos de ecoinovações e de práticas de gestão ambiental em portos europeus e norte-americanos, ressaltando que a gestão ambiental deve ir além da microescala (a gestão dos problemas rotineiros), incorporando-se à macroescala (a gestão da zona costeira), para que o novo modelo portuário seja economicamente competitivo com benefícios socioambientais.

This article discusses the challenges brought by the process of port reforms implemented by the Port Modernization Act (Act n. 8.630/93), among which environmental management, not yet adequately incorporated to the Brazilian port system. Initiatives of environmental management are not part of port planning, leading to disarticulated and reactive actions, which are a result of a point of view that considers environmental regulation a threat to business competitiveness. This article supports the idea that compliance to environmental standards brings opportunities of improvement for the port business. The article presents domestic and foreign environmental management scenarios, as well as examples of eco-innovations and good practices in European and North American ports. It points out that environmental management must go beyond the micro-scale (management of routine problems) and be part of the macro-scale (management of the coastal zone), so that the new port model can be economically competitive with social and environmental benefits.

The occurrence of exotic species in the estuary Laguna de los Patos could be related to the ballast water released at the port of Rio Grande once it has been classified as a conspicuous receptor of ballast water; no related environmental management measures have been adopted. The recognition that invasions of exotic species via ballast water are an increasing problem from local to international scales has stimulated scientific, legal, and management initiatives in order to control the problem. The port of Rio Grande receives large-capacity ships and concentrates cargo from international routes, thereby increasing its susceptibility to exotic species and the need to manage this threat. This paper proposes the implementation of a risk evaluation model for the area, created by the Globallast Program. The model generates a global risk coefficient based on the frequency with which the port is visited and similarity indexes for the ports of origin and Rio Grande. The results suggest the model is a useful tool for environmental management programs in the port area

La ocurrencia de especies exóticas en el estuario de la Laguna de los Patos puede ser vinculada con el vertimiento de aguas de lastre de las embarcaciones que atracan en el puerto de Río Grande, una vez que el mismo es clasificado como conspicuo receptor de agua de lastre, para el cual no se han adoptado medidas de administración ambiental. El reconocimiento que la invasión de especies exóticas por esta vía es un problema desde escala local hasta escala internacional, viene estimulando iniciativas científicas, legales y de gestión para disminuir este problema. El puerto de Río Grande recibe buques de gran capacidad y concentra carga en ruta internacional, lo que aumenta su susceptibilidad a invasiones y la necesidad del manejo ambiental. Este trabajo propone la implementación de un modelo de evaluación de riesgo en el área, creado por el Programa Globallast. El modelo permite el cálculo de un coeficiente de riesgo global basado en la frecuencia con que el puerto es visitado y en índices de similitud entre los puertos de origen y de Río Grande. Los resultados sugieren la utilidad del modelo como herramienta para un programa de gestión ambiental para la zona portuaria