Environmental licensing of large-scale enterprises: what are the limits for evaluating direct and indirect impacts on health? A case study in the Wajãpi Indigenous Land, Amapá

Abstract In Brazil, it is mandatory to conduct environmental impact studies prior to deploying large-scale ventures. However, the normative criteria for demarcating areas of influence are considered imprecise and insufficient. The present article aims to demonstrate how serial environmental impacts caused by the implementation of hydroelectric power plants and industrial mining in the state of Amapá triggered outbreaks of malaria and American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in the Wajãpi Indigenous Land and other settlements in the region. Spatial analysis of deforestation, climate variation curves, and the chronology of events from 2003 to 2015 were used to verify the correlation of indirect health effects in communities wich were not included during the licensing stages for deploying these projects. The results showed that outbreaks of malaria and ACL were correlated with increased rates of deforestation caused by the expansion of rural settlements, but mainly by the establishment of two hydroelectric power plants, the growth in industrial iron mining, as well as the simultaneous increase of mining camps (garimpos) in the region. The results highlight the fragility of the environmental licensing process for demarcating indirectly influenced areas, particularly with regard to health issues.

摘要 在巴西，大型项目投产前开展环境影响评价属于法定强制要求。然而，当前划定项目影响范围的规范性标准被认为不够精准且存在明显不足。本文旨在阐明阿马帕州（Amapá）水电设施与工业采矿项目投产后引发的系列环境影响，如何在瓦雅皮原住民领地及该区域其他定居点诱发疟疾与皮肤利什曼病（American cutaneous leishmaniasis，ACL）暴发。本研究通过对2003年至2015年的森林砍伐空间分布、气候变化曲线及事件时序进行分析，验证了上述项目环评许可阶段未被纳入评估范围的社区所遭受的间接健康效应相关性。研究结果显示，疟疾与皮肤利什曼病暴发与农村定居点扩张引发的森林砍伐率上升存在关联，而主要驱动因素则为两座水力发电厂的建成投运、工业铁矿开采规模扩大，以及该区域采矿营地（garimpos）数量的同步增长。本研究结果凸显了当前环境许可流程在划定间接影响区域方面的局限性，尤其在健康影响管控领域。