Conflitos socioambientais em unidade de conservação: uma análise sobre o Parque Nacional Montanhas do Tumucumaque

Abstract

The increasing exploitation of natural resources demands urgent environmental protection measures to counteract the damage caused by human activities. In this context, Conservation units (UC) emerge as a global strategy to mitigate these impacts; however, they are not always properly implemented in different contexts. The rise of global environmental concerns in the 1970s intensified the socio-environmentalist movement, which advocates for policies that reconcile environmental preservation with benefits for local communities. In this regard, the state of Amapá, with more than 73% of its territory under protection, stands out with the Tumucumaque Mountains National Park (PNMT) — the largest national park in Brazil, located along the state’s border and home to human-inhabited communities, with emphasis on the Vila Brasil community. Based on these considerations, the results of this study highlight the challenges in implementing UC, particularly the TMNP, resulting in conflicts with pre-existing communities. Thus, this research aims to contribute to the resolution of socio-environmental conflicts in border regions, combining conservation goals with social equity through bibliographic research and fieldwork. The work is divided into six sections: (1) description of the methodological approach, characterization of the study area, presentation of the main research actors, and description of the techniques used, focusing on socio-environmental conflicts; (2) exploration of the Brazilian legislative process for the creation of UC and analysis of the agencies responsible for environmental management and oversight; (3) emphasis on the peculiarities and history of environmental protection in the state of Amapá, including the creation of UC at the federal, state, and municipal levels; (4) the creation and legal framework of the TMNP and its joint management with the Guiana Amazonian Park; (5) the history of Vila Brasil and the processes of exclusion and fragmentation of the community; (6) data collected during the fieldwork and (7) conflict characterization, concluding with proposed guidelines for mitigation. The results of this technical report demonstrate that socio-environmental conflicts can be mitigated through the joint efforts of public entities and Vila Brasil residents.