Aspectos socioeconômicos da avaliação de impactos ambientais no licenciamento ambiental da operação de usinas hidrelétricas : um comparativo internacional segundo a sociologia do desenvolvimento técnico

Abstract

It was investigated the hypothesis that there are different socioeconomic aspects that influence the environmental impact assessment techniques in the environmental licensing of the operation of hydroelectric plants, with potential for electric generation equal to or higher than 300 megawatts / hour. Three countries were chosen from the ten countries with the largest installed power generation capacity in the world: Brazil, United States of America and Norway. The research identified, selected and analyzed in these countries their environmental legislation, hydroelectric generation techniques, environmental impact assessment techniques, environmental licensing documents and academic research concerning a hydroelectric power plant operating in each country during the period between 2015 and 2018. The analyzed documents confirmed the initial hypothesis that there are differences in the socioeconomic aspects that influence different techniques of environmental impact assessment in the environmental licensing of the operation of the three hydroelectric plants, under international comparison. It was identified that there are also similar socioeconomic aspects between the three plants and their technical similarities in the assessment of environmental impacts in operating environmental licensing. A synthesis of the differences and similarities of these socioeconomic aspects and respective techniques of environmental impact assessment was elaborated. This synthesis enabled the elaboration of an original academic approach of technological innovation for the environmental management of hydroelectric plants. From this synthesis an investigation was carried out, as to the possibility of future adoption of information processing using artificial intelligence, for the environmental licensing of hydroelectric power plants operation. This original technological innovation, the result of research in the area of technical development sociology and data obtained in the three countries, could be applied to improve the assessment of environmental impacts in the environmental licensing of operation of the Xingó hydroelectric plant in Brazil, with the possibility of assessing efficiency gains in environmental management at this and other hydroelectric plants in Brazil, the United States of America and Norway.