Paper short abstract:

The paper analyzes social vulnerability and its relation with organizational and institutional structures in Brazil in 2010 and recent developments. There is a strong relation between social vulnerability and the allocation of organizational, institutional, and financial resources on sanitation.

Paper long abstract:

Despite the UN Declaration stating that health and well-being are basic human rights, health status around the world remains unequal. While current life expectancy in developed countries is as high as 75-80 years, a child born today in Sub Saharan Africa will not live more than 50-55 years. It´s not surprising that the UN has put forth the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Health is a basic human right that is essential for the fulfilment of life and bodily health, which are necessary for survival. They also enable individuals to aspire, claim, and achieve more complex doings and beings as well as freedoms. This paper analyzes social vulnerability and its relationship with organizational and institutional structures of basic sanitation in Brazil in 2010 and recent developments. The study integrates data from: 1) 2000/2010 Social Vulnerability Index (IVS); 2) 2011 Municipal Survey (MUNIC); and 3) 2009 Finance of Brazil (FINBRA). Between 2000-2010, social vulnerability dropped 26.9%, and municipalities with high vulnerability plummeted from 45.7% to 14.4%. Results show a strong relationship between social vulnerability and the allocation of organizational, institutional, and financial resources on sanitation at the local level. Municipalities with very low vulnerability have committed significantly more resources than those municipalities with very high vulnerability. Findings are put into perspective considering more recent data on sanitation, which illuminate the setbacks and threats for Brazil to meet the SDGs targets by 2030. However, policies addressing SDG6 could change the picture dramatically creating social and economic impact in development and people´s life, if informed by the capability approach. Three conceptual bases are highlighted: 1) Ends are not just metrics, but the freedom individuals must enjoy beings and doings they value regarding their health. The process matters perhaps more than the outcome, and freedoms and well-being are developed along the process. 2) The impact of SDG6 is more on collective well-being and society at large. The capability approach is “people centered,” looking at individual per se and individuals’ relations and role as part of social networks and the broader community. 3) The capability approach puts individual agency at the center and also acknowledges the importance of organizations and institutions. Additionally, conversion factors – both social and environmental – highlight the importance of translating and/or using resources for functionings. Particularly in extreme situations, the most vulnerable and poor populations experience the most severe impacts, challenging their paths to more meaningful, free, and fulfilled lives.