Biographical information: Biologist, baccalaureate in Ecology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Currently I am a master student at the Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl, USA.

Research statement: My study focuses on a Brazilian project to mitigate socio-environmental impacts of oil exploitation. This project is part of the requirements of the Brazilian Environmental Policy to allow environmental risk activities, such as oil exploitation, to happen. My research examines 13 groups formed in this context, measuring the maturity of the groups based in social capital aspects. The maturity of the groups will be compared to the effective project planning, which is measured by the analysis of each group’s project. Understand the potentialities and difficulties of the project, which aim to democratize environmental public policies, can help policy makers to improve its outputs and outcomes.