OPINION POLL 1
Objective, methodology and sample To measure the population s knowledge regarding the Pantanal, WWF contracted a national and a regional poll with the Ibope polling organisation to provide supporting information for the NGO s initiatives and those of its partners. In June 2013, IBOPE conducted 2002 one-to-one interviews all over Brazil to investigate how much Brazilians know about the Pantanal. In September, 504 interviews were conducted with people living in municipalities in the Upper Paraguay river region. The presentation that follows is a synthesis of the main results obtained. 3
Sample Profile Sex Age group Schooling 48 52 Masculino Male Feminino Female Female 16 to a 24 24 25 to a 34 35 to a 44 45 to a 54 55 and e mais over 19 23 20 17 21 Até 4ª Série do Years 1 to 4 (Primary) Fund. Years 5 to 85ª (Lower a 8ª 2ndary) Série do Fund. Higher Ens. Secondary Médio Higher Education Superior 28 21 35 15 % Family Income (Official Minimum Salaries) Class Mais de Over 5 5 9 A/B 24% Mais Over de 2 up a to 5 5 Mais Over de 1 up a to 2 2 31 36 C 59% Até 1 or less 1 Não Respondeu No answer 12 12 D/E 17% Base: National Sample (2,002) 5
Sample Profile % Region Municipal Category Norte/ North/Centre-west Centro-Oeste Nordeste Northeast Southeast Sudeste South Sul 15 15 25 44 23 27 50 Capital Periferia Periphery Interior Metropolitan Region Size of the Municipality (nº of inhabitants) 50 50 RMR Demais Other Cities Cidades Up to 20 Até thousand 20 Mil Over 20 Mais up to de 100 20 a thousand 100 Mil 12 31 Over Mais 100 de thousand 100 Mil 57 Base: National Sample (2,002) 6
Sample Profile Sex Age group % 16 16 a to 24 24 22 51 49 25 25 a to 34 34 35 35 a to 44 44 22 20 45 45 a to 54 54 16 Masculino Feminino 55 e and mais over 21 Family Income (MS) Schooling Mais Over de 5 7 Até Years 4ª Série 1 to 4 do (Primary) Fund. 35 Mais Over de 2 2 up a to 5 Mais Over de 1 1 up a to 2 1 Até or less 1 Não Respondeu No answer 20 29 13 31 5ª Years a 58ª to Série 8 (Lower do 2ndary) Fund. Higher Ens. Secondary Médio Higher Superior Education 17 14 34 Base: Regional Sample (504) 7
Conditions in the municipality: improvement in the quality of life perceived by more than half but harm to the environment as well % A sua qualidade de vida aqui na cidade T The quality of life in your municipality 55 9 35 1 A qualidade da água que chega até a sua casa The quality of the water supplied to your home A condição do meio ambiente local The conditions of the local environment 16 39 20 51 15 43 28 2 4 A condição dos rios, nascentes e córregos da região The conditions of the rivers and springs in the region 14 51 30 5 A disponibilidade de peixes nos rios da região The availability of fish in the region s rivers 11 63 20 6 Melhorou Piorou Está igual Não sabe dizer imoroved worsened The same No answer Base: Regional Sample (504) Qu. 02) Now I would like you to evaluate some aspects of your municipality. For each item that I read out I would like you to say whether it has improved, got worse or remained the same as it was 5 years ago. Let us begin with: (RU ) 9
Visiting the Pantanal: most have never been there Nunca Never visited visitou 57% At Pelo least menos once 1 vez por semana a week 2% At Pelo least menos once a 1 vez month por mês 3% Visitou Visited apenas just uma once vez 7% Pelo menos At least once 1 vez a cada every 3 meses 3 months 4% Less frequently Menos frequentemente 13% At least Pelo menos 1 once vez por a year ano 8% Pelo menos At least once 1 vez a cada every 6 meses 6 momths 6% Não No answer sabe dizer 1% Base: Regional Sample (504) Qu. 06) And how often do you visit the Pantanal, on average? (Single Answer) 10
Most people have never visited the Pantanal Have you ever visited the Pantanal? Have visited Have never visited Cannot remember Base: Sample (2,002) Qu. 2. Have you ever visited the Pantanal? (SINGLE ANSWER ) 11
Although 90% have heard about the Pantanal, 2 out of 3 people cannot identify the region where the Biome is located North Northeast Centrewest Southeast South Cannot say Qu. 3. (Card with a Map) In which region of Brazil is the Pantanal located? (SINGLE ANSWER ) 12
High level of knowledge of the Pantanal: 93% of interviewees have heard of it Which of these Brazilian natural landscapes do you know or have you heard of? Amazon Atlantic Forest Pampas Know Do not know Sample Qu. 1 Which of these Brazilian natural landscapes do you know or have you heard of? (STIMULATED READ ITEMS IN TURN SINGLE ANSWER PER ITEM) 13
And only half the population is familiar with the scenery that typifies the Pantanal landscape From what you have heard, which of the following phrases best describes the Pantanal scenery? It is a vast wetland area composed by highland Cerrado savannah plateaus and lowland floodplains It is a tropical forest typified by dense jungle and huge trees It is a dry region with little vegetation or green area Cannot say Sample Qu. 4. (Card with options) From what you have heard, which of the following phrases best describes the Pantanal scenery? (READ OUT ITEMS 1 TO 3 TO THE INTERVIEWEE -SINGLE ANSWER PER ITEM) 14
As in the national poll, almost 40% of those interviewed did not know that the Pantanal is an area at risk of degradation 61 21 It É uma is an área area em at risk risco It Não is not é uma an area área at em risk risco 66 18 18 Cannot Não sabe say dizer 15 Base: Amostra Nacional (2002) / Regional (504) Qu.10)Q In your opinion, is the Pantanal an area at risk of degradation? (SPONTANEOUS) SA) 16
Even so, in stimulated responses, deforestation is the most mentioned threat to the Pantanal % Deforestation in the region 66 73 Degradation of the vegetation around springs and along the banks of rivers Accumulations of silt and residues in the rivers making them shallower 27 21 53 50 Water pollution from raw sewage discharge Increase in cities and urban populations in the region 18 32 36 34 Hunting 27 30 Unbridled Tourism 16 23 Construction of hydroelectric plants 12 17 Degradation of the Brazilian Cerrado savannahs 4 9 None of the above 1 1 Cannot say 9 5 Base: Amostra Nacional (2002) / Regional (504) Qu. 11) From what you have heard, what are the main threats to the Pantanal today? (STIMULATED - SINGLE ANSWER PER ITEM) 17
Knowledge concerning the region s rivers is diffuse In the Brazilian Cerrado savannahs region 18% 39% Cannot say In the Pantanal floodplain 20% 37% 37% 27% Base: National (2002) / Regional (504) samples In Brazil s neighbouring countries Bolivia Paraguay 32% 36% National Regional Qu. 12) Where do the rivers that cut across the Pantanal rise? (STIMULATED - MA) 18
In regard to preservation, protecting the springs is the most mentioned measure among regional residents % Preservação das suas nascentes Preservation of its springs Políticas públicas de proteção do Pantanal, (ex. uma lei específica de proteção) Public protection policies specifically for the Pantanal (e.g. a specific protection law) 44 50 54 81 Turismo ecológico Ecological tourism 29 43 Creating protected areas (e.g. Parks and Criação de áreas protegidas (ex. parques e reservas) Nature Reserves) Práticas agropecuárias sustentáveis (ex. redução de uso de agrotóxicos, combate a erosão do solo, etc.) Sustainable agricultural and livestock production practices(e.g. reduction of pesticide use, combating soil erosion, etc.) Não sabe dizer Cannot say 6 8 18 18 39 38 Nacional Regional Base: Amostra Nacional (2002) / Regional (504) Qu. 14) In your opinion, what are the most important measures for the preservation of the Pantnal? (STIMULATED Multiple) 19
Perceptions of responsibility for the protection of the headwaters are mixed % Cada Each cidadão citizen The government O governo 46 46 Everyone De todos 37 Empresas Sanitation de saneamento Companies 18 Basin Comitês Committees de bacia Non-governmental ONGs - Organizações Organisations não governamentais Não sabe opinar Cannot (Esp.) Say 6 9 8 Base: Regional Sample (504) Qu. 17) In your opinion, who is responsible for protecting the springs and headwaters of the Pantanal? (Stimulated Response - Multiple options) 20
The idea of the Pact is gaining force among regional inhabitants The Pact in Defence of the Pantanal Headwaters is designed to construct an alliance among all sectors to guarantee water in sufficient quantity and of sufficient quality to permit the sustainable development of the region. 64 93% 29 Very important Important Indifferent Base: Regional Sample (504) No opinion 3% 2 1 1 Not very important Not important Q8) Tendo em vista esse objetivo, como você avalia a importância de um Pacto em defesa das cabeceiras do Pantanal? Você diria que: (RU) In regard to this objective, how important do you think the Pact in Defence of the Pantana Headwaters is? (Single Answer) 21
Few people know about the Mato Grosso State Policy on Water Resources Have you ever heard of the Mato Grosso State Policy on Water Resources? Do you know of any action that it has carried out? % 88 13 Sim Yes 67 33 Sim Yes Não No Não No Base: Regional Sample (504) Base: Those answering yes (Regional) (63) Qu. 20) Have you ever heard of the Mato Grosso State Policy on Water Resources? Qu. 21) Do you know of any action set out in the Mato Grosso State Water Resources Plan that has been implemented? 22
Or about the River Basin Committee Have you ever heard of the River Basin Committee? Yes 18% No 82% Base: Regional Sample (504) Qu. 22) Have you ever heard of the River Basin Committee? 23
The population agrees that the best way to protect the Pantanal is by joining forces but regional residents consider that their responsibility is greater % The best way of preserving the Pantanal is by uniting the efforts of government, corporations and civil society Nacional Regional 82 92 11 42 6 2 Preservation of the Pantanal is everyone s responsibility but most of all the responsibility of those that live in the region Nacional Regional 76 90 14 8 6 2 4 Brazilian society as a whole is responsible for the preservation of the Pantanal Nacional Regional 77 89 13 8 2 8 12 There are other environmental issues more important than the Pantanal such as the preservation of the Amazon, Nacional Regional It is interesting to note that while the regional population considers itself to bear greater responsibility for Pantanal preservation, at the same time it considers the Pantanal to be less important than other Biomes Base: National Sample (2,002) / Regional (504) Qu. 25. I have some statements here and I would like you to say to what extent you agree or disagree with them. The first statement is (Single Answer for each line) Do you agree or disagree with this statement? 60 79 23 Totally/partially agree Neither agree nor disagree Totally/partially disagree Cannot say Concorda totalmente/ parcialmente Não concorda nem discorda Discorda totalmente/ parcialmente Não sabe dizer 11 15 3 7 3 Continued. 24
Final Remarks The analysis of the national poll results shows that the environmental issue is much closer for the population to the population. It is also interesting to note that the population does not make a direct connection between improved quality of life and the preservation of the environment: most of the regional population declared that their quality of life had improved (reflecting the social improvements achieved by Brazil as a whole) but the majority also recognised that over the period in question the environment had been jeopardised especially the conditions of rivers and springs 26
Final Remarks The national poll showed that 66% of the people did not know which region the Pantanal is located in and even when the answers were stimulated only half the population was able to describe the Pantanal landscape. Another interesting aspect is that the inhabitants of the Upper Paraguay river basin region do not recognise it as being part of the Pantanal and that could give rise to problems in the aspect of taking responsibility for its preservation. Even so, in a similar way to the national population, regional inhabitants are capable of relating the contributions of the landscape to the environment and to the life of communities. 27
Final Remarks As expected, the local population s knowledge of the Pantanal was greater even though most of them had never visited it. In the National poll, it was found that in spite of the lack of in-depth knowledge, when stimulated, people are capable of identifying threats to the Pantanal and ways in which it can be preserved. It can be seen, however, that such identifications are restricted to more general environmental aspects such as deforestation and the question of the waters. In the regional questions we detected a more coherent and forceful knowledge related to water resource issues. The threat that appears most forcefully is the question of deforestation and cross-referencing that with the possible solutions we found that it was an issue strongly correlated to the preservation of the headwaters. 28
Final Remarks On the question of willingness to support Pantanal preservation activities, over 86% of the population declared itself to be sympathetic to the cause. The most popular form of collaboration was that of disseminating and publicising information. It must be stressed that the effective degree of willingness to provide support is always less than that declared in this kind of poll. Nevertheless, the sympathy expressed with the idea of diffusing information could open up opportunities for making good use of the social media to publicise the cause. 29
Final Remarks In regard to responsibility for landscape preservation, it is interesting to note that the majority of the population believes that the best form of preservation can be achieved through the joint efforts of government, corporations and society at large. Those results are in keeping with those obtained by the national poll. Some points, however, catch our attention: The regional population shows a high level of agreement with the statement that inhabitants of the Pantanal region itself have greater responsibility for this issue. At the same time, however, it considers that there are other more important environmental issues in Brazil such as the Amazon. 30
Final Remarks Those points indicate that there is a possible problem of sub-estimation of the Biome s importance. Even so, the validation of the national and regional poll data shows that the principle of a Pact for the Defence of the Pantanal Headwaters is firmly adhered to by the local population, insofar as the need to preserve the headwaters is a strong issue in the region. We would therefore like to point out some of the lessons learned from the poll that could be useful to the campaign. Willingness and sensitivity to the issue are not lacking. 31
Final Remarks There is still room for more information Although the Pantanal is by no means unknown to the population, there is still a need for more specific information on the region, its importance and the threats it faces. Knowledge is fundamental. The more widely the cause is made known, the greater support there will be for it and recognition of the need for preservation. When most of the population considers that there are other more important environmental issues in Brazil such as the Amazon, for example, then it is expressing its greater familiarity with those other causes and indicating that the Pantanal is lagging behind other environmental issues in the country in the aspect of the population s information and awareness regarding it. In regard to the local populations, there still room for further awareness raising in regard to the biome s importance given that local residents seem to underestimate it. 32
Final Remarks There is support for preservation The population has already been made aware of the relevance of environmental causes and it is in favour of preservation and willing to support actions to that end. In that regard, there is an outstanding need to reduce the distance separating theory from practice by presenting clear simple ways in which people can effectively help the causes. Advantage must be taken of the population s sense of responsibility; spurring it to action by means of the social media and other online instruments could be a good alternative. That sense of responsibility is even higher among members of the local population: 90% agree that the greatest responsibility lies with the regional population. The problem is that they do not recognise themselves as belonging to the Pantanal region.. It is necessary to enable people to perceive that they are part of the Pantanal and important agents of its preservation. 33
Final Remarks Joining forces is the key idea The population is convinced that joining forces is the best way to address the preservation of the Pantanal. That being so, the communication effort associated to the Headwaters Pact should focus on that aspect as the way of translating the principles underlying the Pact to the population as a whole. Putting aside technicism and working with the idea of union and joint efforts could be an important tool for activating civil society and achieving a greater and more effective impact on corporations and governments. 34
Technical Specifications Field work dates From June 13 to 16, 2013 June 13 to 16, 2013 Sampling method Margin of error The sampling model employed is one of conglomerates in thre stages modelo de amostragem utilizado é o de conglomerados em 3 estágios. No primeiro estágio os municípios são selecionados probabilisticamente através do método PPT (Probabilidade Proporcional ao Tamanho), com base na população de 16 anos ou mais de cada município. No segundo estágio são selecionados os conglomerados: setores censitários, com PPT (Probabilidade Proporcional ao Tamanho) sistemático. A medida de tamanho é a população de 16 anos ou mais residente nos setores. Finalmente, no terceiro estágio é selecionado em cada conglomerado um número fixo 2,2 pontos de eleitores percentuais segundo, com cotas intervalo de variáveis de confiança descritas de abaixo. 95%. % of data verified Pelo menos 20% do material dos entrevistadores foi criticado e verificado. Copies of data gathering instruments A 3-stage cluster sampling technique was used. In the first stage the municipalities are selected using the Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) method based on the population figures for each municipality for the age group 16 plus. In the second stage the clusters are selected: census sectors using systematic PPS. Size is measured by the 16 and over age group Residing in the respective sectors. Finally in the third stage a fixed number of registered voters is selected from each cluster according to the variable values set out below 2.2 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95%. At least 20% of the material gathered by interviewers was criticised and verified. 100% of the questionnaires were submitted to an electronic consistency test to verify coherence in the responses. 100% dos questionários foram submetidos a um teste eletrônico de consistência para verificação de coerência das respostas. Questionnaires were submitted to the client for approval before field work began and they are part of the poll report/presentation. Questionários foram enviados para aprovação por parte do cliente antes do início dos trabalhos de campo e fazem parte do relatório/apresentação de pesquisa. 35