Legal reserves: allocation criteria and management aspects

Author(s)

Victor Eduardo Lima Ranieri

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Carlos. , ilustrações, mapas.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC/SBD)
• Defense date: 2004-06-30

Examining board members

Marcelo Pereira de Souza; Walter de Paula Lima; Iraci da Silva Leme Monteiro; José Salatiel Rodrigues Pires; Maria José Brito Zakia

• Advisor: Marcelo Pereira de Souza
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering
• Indexed in: Banco de Dados Bibliográficos da USP-DEDALUS
• Location: Universidade de São Paulo. Biblioteca da Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos; EESC/TESE 4683

Abstract

The destruction of natural environments is one of the most recognized worldwide environmental problems, which, among other consequences, causes impacts such as the loss of biodiversity and soil and water degradation. Such impacts reflect upon social and economic systems, which have lead the discussion on nature conservation strategies through paths which include not only technical but also political aspects. As well as protection strategies based on public land, biodiversity and water resource conservation in areas under private domain is a widely recognized need. On public or private land, the conservation of natural areas means imposing limits on human action, which tends to generate a conflict of interests. In Brazil, the so called legal reserve - a tool established by the Brazilian Forestry Code, Law 4,771 of 1965, with the aim of guaranteeing the sustainable use of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, and ecological processes - limits the use of rural properties and is the focus of discussions among landowners, governments, and entities linked to the environmental arena. This paper analyzes and proposes strategies for biodiversity, soil and water resource conservation through the legal reserve tool, considering designation criteria and management aspects, with a focus on the Atlantic Rainforest and cerrado. Political, legal, and institutional aspects related to the issue are analyzed, conflicts of interest are identified, and paths for the balance of these conflicts are suggested. Under a technical aspect, criteria and parameters to aid in the decision-making process for designating priority areas for legal reserves are proposed and scenarios for soil occupation of a specific region are presented, considering such criteria. The information gathered lead to the conclusion that the brazilian strategy is inefficacious. Points with less conflict among those involved, with the possibility of compensation for legal reserves outside property limits - based on tools like environmental zoning and economic incentives - could make the legal reserve instrument more efficient as long as: a) adequate territorial patches are defined for the co-management of forests and water and b) clear technical criteria are used to determine the priority areas designated as legal reserves, in a manner which minimizes the subjectivity of the general norms. The results of simulations, materialized in eight occupation scenarios, show that it is possible, with the adoption of objective technical criteria, to identify areas more susceptible to the implementation of legal reserves and thus change parameters such as size, central area, and connectivity between fragments. Such changes can make the landscape more favorable for fauna fluxes, for the maintenance of species dependent upon large area and habitats with less border effect, as well as promote greater protection of soils and water resources. Issues such as the responsibility for subsequent damage to legal reserves managed in shared natural areas and those related to the management of such areas to guarantee long-term conservation, however, still require more effort to be calculated. These efforts should concentrate on innovative strategies, which will include, for example, the participation of civil society in the management of reserves or shared natural areas. (AU)