Unidades de conservação e populações : análise da dinâmica espaço-temporal das relações estabelecidas entre as comunidades e a natureza no entorno do Parque Nacional do Caparaó – ES/MG

Abstract

The environmental issue—also referred to as the environmental question and/or environmental crisis—is one of the major contemporary themes, encompassing virtually all aspects of social life, from economic concerns to the potential extinction of the human species. Among the many dimensions of this issue, environmental policies aimed at reducing or eliminating the negative impacts of human actions on the ecumene stand out. In this context, the creation of Conservation Units (CUs), emerges as one of the most significant public policies. This thesis analyzes the establishment and functioning of CUs, focusing on the society↔nature relationship and the underlying conceptions of nature expressed through these structures. The Caparaó National Park (ParNa Caparaó), located on the border between the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, is used as a case study. The primary objective is to understand how society↔nature relationships have developed in the park’s surroundings over time, with the park’s creation serving as a central influencing factor. The research is grounded in a theoretical approach based on Political Ecology, with particular attention to the processes of nature production expressed through of CUs. Methodologically, the study combines a literature review, regional mapping, and semi-structured interviews with managers, employees, and local residents living near the park. The results revealed that CUs often convey a vision of nature as external to human societies, which can conflict with other cosmographies and local practices of nature production, thereby generating environmental conflicts. In the case of ParNa Caparaó, both positive impacts, such as the protection of non-human elements and changes in local practices of environmental use, and negative impacts, such as increased population pressure in peripheral areas, environmental degradation, and the emergence of injustices involving local communities and park management, were identified. The analysis highlights the complexity of society↔nature dynamics within the context of CUs, contributing to debates on environmental governance, ecological justice, and the role of conservation policies in shaping new forms of human-environment relationships.