SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT OF MUNICIPALITIES OF THE MATO GROSSO STATE BY THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE IDSM - SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INDEX FOR MUNICIPALITIES

Abstract

The objective of the paper is to assess the level of sustainability of the municipalities of Mato Grosso State through the use of the IDSM – Municipality Sustainable Development Index. This goal was implemented using the methodology developed by Martins & Cândido (2008) in which the investigated data is calculated and interpreted in six dimensions: social, demographic, economics, institutional-political, environmental and cultural. Based on the analysis of those dimensions, sustainability levels are scale according to ideal, acceptable, alert and critic levels. The results are presented by the use of maps that aim to facilitate a better representation of the reality of Mato Grosso State municipalities. The research has identified that none of Mato Grosso State municipalities presented the ideal level of sustainability, 3,55% reached the acceptable classification, 96,5% obtained the alert level, and only one presented the critical scale. The results obtained point to the necessity of public policies to improve State's sustainable development. In that regard, the article aims to strength the debate about the inequalities found and to provide information to local economic agents in order to guiding strategic decisions regarded to sustainable development challenges.