Politics of Meteorology in Brazil

Abstract

The paper analyzes the process of implementation and development of the Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies (CPTEC) at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in Brazil. It’s argued that this process occurred through active relationships between members of the research community and the political sphere. This combination of scientific, political and institutional aspects is empirically documented through interviews with researchers, politicians and engineers who participated in the construction of the center. Through the analysis of this documentation, we describe the dynamics between scientists and politicians in a historical process marked by disputes about the planning of Meteorology in Brazil.