Índice para avaliação da proteção legal em áreas de preservação permanente (APP) e a conservação da natureza na Ilha Grande - RJ

Abstract

The Areas of Permanent Preservation, (APP) were created with the aim of protecting importante environmental attributes and sites of relevance due to its ecological functions and provision of several ecosystem services. Although this important protection instrument was created more than 80 years ago, its application is still sorrounded by conflicts mainly related to the dynamics of human occupation use. In urban areas where densification intensifies, the disrespect of legal limits materialized in the occupation of the banks of rivers, hills and lakes. Non-compliance also extends to rural areas where APPs environmental mischaracterization occurs as a result of pastures and extensive agriculture, for instance. Over the Years since the approval of the 1965 law which defined territorial Spaces to be protected, these limits undergo a continuous attempt of mischaracterization through the development of legal instruments to make its occupation and/or existance. Based on the above and with the concern of keeping the APPs as environmental areas and identify the highest incidences of these areas, this research prepared a quatitative assessement of permanent preservation through the creation of an environmental index, Permanent Preservation Index, (PPI) which established the degree of protection based on the assessment of the spatial relationship of its limits. Ilha Grande, district of the municipality of Angra dos Reis, located on Costa Verde, in Rio de Janeiro was the spatial cutout chosen for the application of the methodology which basecally consisted of exploratory and descriptive research with well-defined and complementary execution stages based on three development pillars: the first referring to APPs themselves, the second to the creation of index, and the third to the use of geotechnologies both in the stages of systematization and organization of spatial data and in the creation of index using spatial analysis and interpolators as well as in spatial database production and in the synthetic and analytical maps presented in the results. Other concepts permeated the discussion, enriched the research and supported the proposals for the application of the PPI through its crossing with legal instruments applicable in the territory such as the Conservation Units, and their respective zoning as well as the municipal zoning, landslide occurrence areas, and identification of endemic flora. The IPP was applied and validated on Ilha Grande, but due to its methodological construction it is capable of being extended to other territories since the legislation of APPs are nationally essential. It can be used as a complementary tool in the development of environmental studies, plans and projects in addition to supporting managers in decision-making, monitoring, and drafting public policies for territorial planning.