Environmental dismantling in Brazil: advances and knowledge gaps

Abstract Scientific literature demonstrates that a process of dismantling environmental policy was observed in Brazil during the period from 2016 to 2022. This scenario involved the reduction of state capacities, public participation and transparency, political control and militarization of environmental institutions, an increase in land grabbing, and illegal mining and violence in rural territories, among other changes. This article aims to map the advances, limitations, and demands of scientific knowledge concerning this political phenomenon. It consists of a scope review of environmental dismantling in Brazil. Thus, we analyzed 83 scientific papers that address the theme, published between 2016 and 2022. The study identified the most investigated topics regarding environmental dismantling, the theoretical and methodological approaches used by research, and the areas of progress and debate that persist for public administration and investigators of the political phenomenon. This scope review has a critical feature, covering some recommendations for scientific literature. For example, we highly suggest the theoretical improvement of environmental policy dismantling as a phenomenon, considering the Brazilian experience and the development of strategies for protecting and enforcing public institutions in case of future dismantling scenarios.