Maranhão leads in access to justice, but performs poorly in other dimensions
Maranhão scored 39.8 points on the Environmental Democracy Index, ranking third among the states of the Legal Amazon. The performance is considered "poor" overall, with only one positive highlight: the Access to Environmental Justice dimension.
With 66.1 points, the state leads this dimension among those evaluated. Specialized structures for dealing with environmental and land issues scored well.
In the other dimensions, the results were significantly lower. In Access to Environmental Information, the state scored only 33.8 points ("bad"). Of the 29 categories evaluated, only 8 presented any data, but all of it was incomplete, out of date or in a format unsuitable for reuse.
The Access to Participation dimension was also rated poorly, with 30.9 points ("bad"), which demonstrates the need for improvements in the functioning of the state environmental council, conservation unit councils and public environmental licensing hearings.
In Protection of Environmental Defenders, Maranhão scored 28.4 points ("bad"). The state has a protection program, but lacks information and diversity in its collegiate body. There are also no protocols for public security agents in cases involving defenders and the use of body cameras in environmental or land conflicts.
Highlights of the Maranhão evaluation:
- Final score: 39.8 points - "bad" rating
- 3rd place overall among the states of the Legal Amazon
- Best result in Access to Environmental Justice: 66.1 points - "good"
- Poor results in Access to Information (33.8), Participation (30.9) and Protection of Defenders (28.4)
- Positive highlights: specialized structures in organs of the justice system and the existence of protection programming for defenders
- Weaknesses: lack of environmental data and limitations in the functioning of participatory spaces
