Regional Resilience in theoretical and empirical perspectives: The Case of the Industrial Pole of Cubatão, São Paulo.

Key-words

regional resilience; evolutionary economy; sustainability, Industrial Pole of Cubatao, São Paulo.

Justification / Motivation

The notion of resilience of places emerges as a specific ability of localities to react, respond and cope with uncertainties, changes and adversities, such as artificial or natural disasters. Discussions on regional development have been amplified from a more comprehensive view about the resilience of the regions, in response to a very diverse pattern of external shocks, including financial crises, dangerous climate change, environmental disasters and extreme terrorist movements. The potential vulnerabilities of regions and localities, such as endogenous or exogenous risks may be associated with increased permeability and interdependence between the places and hence the growing popularity of the term resilience is due to its flexibility with respect to its possible meanings (Pike et al, 2010; Christopherson et al, 2012).

Several researchers belonging to a research network in the U.S.A, sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation recently have adopted the metaphor of resilience from studies of psychology, ecology, environmental disasters, among others, to regional economic development. Hassink (2010) makes references to some research groups at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who are also making the transposition of the resilience metaphor for other issues, such as the studies of Professor Yossi Sheffi which analyzes the corporations (resilient businesses), as well the studies of teachers Lawrence Valley and Tommaso Campanella, about urban planning (resilient cities).

In Brazil, an emblematic case of regional resilience can be identified in the Industrial Pole of Cubatão, São Paulo. Galvão Filho (1987) did a narrative of the "Phenomenon Cubatão" which analyzes how a region which was known as "Valley of Death" in the 1980s it was able to reverse the imminent situation of environmental disaster.

Currently it is already possible to say that the critical situation of environmental degradation has been reversed and it is close to normality, through joint efforts between governments and corporations. This process have been managed for 30 years, which the threshold was the Action Plan for Control of Environmental Pollution Cubatão.

Research Problem

The present study aims to explore how the theoretical concepts of regional resilience can be adopted in empirical perspectives in order to produce new insights on the subject. Thus, the purpose is presenting the main theoretical approaches of regional resilience and in sequence verifying their applicability in the case of the Industrial Pole of Cubatão, São Paulo.

Methods

The methodology includes comprehensive literature search on the concepts underlying the notion of resilience, specifically from the international literature by the absence of Brazilian literature about the matter.

The empirical research about Industrial Pole of Cubatão was based on official documents, academic works, published depositions and interviews with officials and residents.

Discussion

This study is structured in three steps. Firstly, we present the main conceptual approaches of resilience regional. In sequence, it will be made a historic narrative of the Industrial Pole of Cubatão under the analytical framework based on Evolutionary Economics, proposed by Martin (2010). This framework includes the four phases which identifies the resilient regions: (1) historical accident; (2) early path creation; (3) path dependence / lock-in and (4) path delocking. Finally, it will be presented an analysis of the results after implantation of Action Plan for Environmental Restoration which was managed over 25 years (1983-2008), based on the indicators of achievement.

Expected Results

The final considerations highlight the efforts that are being promoted in the region in an attempt to solve the remaining issues in the region and suggestions for future studies.

References

CHRISTOPHERSON, Susan; MICHIE, Jonathan; TYLER, Peter. Regional Resilience: theoretical and empirical perspectives. Cambridge Journal of Regions: Economy and Society 2010, 3, 3-10.

GALVÃO FILHO, João Baptista. O Fenômeno Cubatão. O Estado de São Paulo, 14/03/1987.

HASSINK, Robert. Regional resilience: a promising concept to explain differences in regional economic adaptability? Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society 2010, 3, 45–58.

HUDSON, Ray. Resilient regions in an uncertain world: wishful thinking or a practical reality? Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, v.3, pp. 11–25, 2010.

MARTIN, Ron. Roepke Lecture in Economic Geography -Rethinking Regional Path Dependence: Beyond lock-in to Evolution. Economic Geography, v. 86, n.1 pp.1-27, 2010.

PENDALL, Rolf; FOSTER, Kathryn A.; COWELL, Margaret. Resilience and regions: building understanding of the metaphor. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society 2010, 3, 71–84.

PIKE, Andy; DAWLEY, Stuart; TOMANEY, John. Resilience, adaptation and adaptability. Cambridge Journal of Regions. Economy and Society, 2010, 3, 59-70.

SWANSTROM, Todd. Regional Resilience: A Critical Examination of the Ecological Framework. University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Urban and Regional Development (IURD) Working Paper, 2008.