Impactos da intervenção do projeto Doces Matas em comunidades de Mata Atlântica : perspectiva de um estudo de percepção ambiental

• Autor(a) principal: Barreto, Karla Fernanda Barbosa
• Data de Publicação: 2008
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFS
• Texto Completo: https://ri.ufs.br/handle/riufs/4270
• topic: Percepção ambiental; Mata Atlântica; Degradação ambiental; Environmental perception; Atlantic Forest; Habitat degradation; CNPQ::OUTROS

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the World´s most biologically diverse biomes, and encompasses a variety of different forest formations and ecosystems, originally covering 15% of Brazilian territory. However, the whole area has suffered significant anthropogenic degradation, and the forest has now been reduced to less than a tenth of its original cover. The state of Sergipe is typical of this scenario, and remaining habitat is distributed in a few dozen small, isolated fragments of forest, which harbour a characteristic fauna, including endangered species such as Coimbra´s titi monkey, Callicebus coimbrai. In addition to threatening its biodiversity, the degradation of these forests has a number of negative implications for local human populations, in particular with regard to the protection of water supplies, and related consequences for subsistence activities, health, and quality of life. There is a clear need to involve local residents in any project, and to integrate them as allies against the traditional view of environmental preservation as an obstacle to development. The present study was based on a systematic analysis of the environmental perception of the participants in an environmentally-oriented social development project Projeto Doces Matas in three rural communities of eastern Sergipe (Badajós, Caraíbas and São Sebastião). While the majority of subjects had little knowledge of the environment or environmental legislation, they were able to comprehend their dependence on Nature, and in particular its protection of water supplies. There was a clear relationship between the proximity of local forests and their exploitation by the members of local communities, and the attitudes of local residents towards their preservation. Following a series of activities aimed at increasing the sensitivity of the participants towards the environment, many subjects were able to answer specific questions they had been unable to respond correctly before the activities. This reveals the need for a systematic process of environmental education, which should involve the whole community. The communities appear to be willing to preserve the environment, but are forced into the exploitation of natural resources by their lack of financial assets. The provision of ecologically-sustainable alternative sources of income such as beekeeping, the activity promoted by Doces Matas is a clear priority for these communities.