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- ISSN: 2333-2581
- Modern Environmental Science and Engineering
Municipal Protected Areas Within the Urban Context of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest
1. Ambiental Ltda, Brazil
2. Aretê Socioambiental, Brazil
3. Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica, Brazil
Abstract: This paper addresses the results of an assessment of the municipal protected areas in the Atlantic Forest, with the aim of determining the scale of this local protection network that is still a relatively unknown part of the The Brazilian Protected Area System (known in Portuguese as Sistema Nacional de Unidades de Conservação-SNUC). The work involved the study of basic information about the municipal protected areas and the challenges and opportunities to strengthen this important mechanism for the conservation of biodiversity. Of the 720 municipal protected areas (from a registered total of 914) for which we were able to obtain data, in 428 municipalities within the biome, 56.5% (407) are located within the urban or peri-urban network of their respective municipalities. The Atlantic Forest is an extremely urbanized region, with a very large population that requires natural resources, environmental services and areas for leisure and recreation. The relationship between the municipal protected areas and the planning of urban centers is a necessary and promising approach. This paper presents some examples of the benefits the municipal protected areas provide for the municipalities and the well-being of the population, as well as reflection on the needs for policies and action to strengthen this local environmental protection network.
Key words: urban protected areas, Atlantic Forest Biodiversity Hotspot, sustainable cities
