Metodologias participativas como ferramenta de minimização de conflitos socioambientais em unidades de conservação

Abstract

National Parks are Conservation Units (UCs) that can be the scene of socioenvironmental conflicts due to their restrictions on access and use of natural resources and the lack of social participation in their management. The Serra da Bocaina National Park, on the border between the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, was created in 1971 and has, over the years, experienced conflicts that can harm its management and prevent its conservationist objectives from being achieved, with highlight to the Vila de Trindade, in Paraty-RJ. Thus, the general objective of this work is to analyze the appropriation of participatory methodologies by the managers of the Serra da Bocaina National Park, aiming to minimize socioenvironmental conflicts in Vila de Trindade. To this end, questionnaires were applied to assess the environmental perception and experience of conflict of the local population, applying hypothesis tests to determine the socioeconomic characteristics that influence the experience of conflict in the region, in addition to semi-structured interviews to identify perceptions and expectations of park managers and the local community about participatory methodologies applied at the study site. These data were finally analyzed using the SWOT Matrix. As results obtained, the average environmental perception found for the population of Vila de Trindade stands out, in contrast to a great lack of knowledge about the definition of UCs and their locations. In addition, it was found that, at the study site, populations over 45 years old and who have lived there for more than 20 years experience, statistically, more socio-environmental conflicts with the Park. Finally, it was concluded that there is an agreement between the population and the Park on the need for environmental conservation of the area, however, for the minimization of local socio-environmental conflicts, the broader development of participatory methodologies focused on the local reality is extremely necessary, with frequent presence of managers in the Park area.