Como implementar paisagens multifuncionais?: futuros possíveis (cenários) para o entorno do Parque Estadual do Rio Doce - MG

Abstract

It is very challenging to move towards sustainable management of resources in the buffer areas of conservation units. This Master Thesis uses the concepts of multifunctional landscapes to elaborate scenarios for Rio Doce state park buffer area – PERD, an integral conservation unit – UC located in the east of Minas Gerais State. The aim of the work is to explore how the economic, social, environmental and cultural functions can be incorporated into the landscape scale. We particularly seek responses to societal demands in order to reconcile socio economic development with biodiversity protection. Participatory scenarios were developed for exploring different futures “possible and desirable ”by the local community. In parallel, spatially explicit models were developed to identify areas whose potentially could be associated with the visions and desirable futures by local community. The 3 steps methodology comprised: 1) Create visions about desirable futures (scenarios) to the PERD buffer area; 2) Map and Model the biophysical potential to allocate the desirable visions in the landscape; 3) Explore mechanisms of public and private governance to implement visions in areas with appropriate biophysical potential. One of the community demands was to produce food, associated with jobs and income generation, favoring the gastronomic and ecological tourism in the region. A spatially explicit model was developed to identify the potential of agricultural use of the Bom Jesus do Galho in the PERD buffer area. It was estimated the Transformation Potential and the Environmental Conservation, in order to identify conflict free areas between the visions that integrates the different scenarios and potential areas of investment. This was done by combining a variety of key spatial environmental and urban legal variables. Our results show that 25% of municipal area (151,07 km²) of Bom Jesus do Galho mainly of pasture and agriculture has potential for agricultural investment. The Agricultural Use Potential model identified these areas heterogeneously distributed across the municipality,. About 50 km² of areas classified as forest were also classified as with Potential for Investment. These forest areas can be used for visiting the lakes involving economic and educational activities for environmental conservation. The areas that belons to lake system of Revés do Belém District were classified, mainly, as of environmental conservation, restricting uses. This work can contribute for building and strengthening of local communities’ participation in one of most emblematic of protect areas of Minas Gerais State. This participatory approach needs to be further continued. The challenges are, therefore, the strengthening ties with the community; the affective contact with project partners, seeking the Action Plan development. This thesis is original as it associates methodologies and tools such as spatially explicit modeling and participatory stakeholders engagement for exploring desirable futures by local community. This work explored the concept of multifunctional landscape within its social, cultural, economic and environmental functions that were associated to the desirable futures by local communities. The work meets the needs highlighted by the CAPES Committee on Environmental Sciences by developing research that is bridges across social and environmental sciences that can be used for better targeting landscape management.