Sergipe has high levels of land degradation, pockets of poverty and different types of LD, so that different kinds of solutions can be demonstrated, thus facilitating replication to other states. The state, which has been a pioneer in several environmental initiatives, such as its forest inventory (the first in the country) and the on-line authorization for transport of wild or domestic animals. The smallest state in Brazil, it is fifth in total expenditures on environment in absolute terms. Most importantly, it has completed its PAE-SE and has identified priority actions to reduce levels of LD. Various state baseline programs exist, which the project can influence over its lifetime to ensure that SLM considerations are taken into account. Sergipe also has significant political will and buy-in from SEMARH to move forward to implement the PAE-SE plan and to take action on LD and on poverty reduction. In order to achieve this, the state government has good relations with rural social movements, especially of landless workers.
Because of its small size, Sergipe has the advantage of close proximity of target groups to markets, government agencies, banks, civil society organizations and academic institutions. The focus on one state will enable the project to have substantive on-the-ground impact and will provide a model for replication throughout the ASDs. Replication of the most successful and sustainable practices to other states will be encouraged through information dissemination, knowledge management and national-level project elements. While some states will be influenced by horizontal interstate dissemination, the national level, including various ministries, national commissions and civil society organizations, will draw in the states that may be less inclined to embrace social and environmental causes. Regional mechanisms such as SUDENE (connected to the Ministry of National Integration), BNB and ASA are relevant for the NE Brazil, while international exchange contributes to wider dissemination within the country and abroad.
