Análise normativa da APA Baía de Todos os Santos: lacunas e tendências na conciliação entre uso e conservação

Abstract

The interactions between society and the environment in coastal zones generate significant impacts, threatening ecosystem resilience, causing biodiversity loss, and posing economic risks. In Brazil, Conservation Units (CUs), regulated by the National System of Conservation Units (NSCU), play a crucial role in environmental preservation, particularly in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). However, the absence of Management Plans (MPs), bureaucracy, and limited resources often compromise their effectiveness, leading many of these areas to be considered "paper parks." This study analyzes the regulatory framework of the Environmental Protection Area (EPA) of Baía de Todos os Santos (BTS), a unit without an MP, aiming to describe existing patterns and provide insights for formulating rules that balance human activities and environmental conservation. A total of 119 regulatory documents were collected from official sources, with 38 selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Content analysis was conducted using IRaMuTeQ, applying word clouds, similarity analysis, and Descending Hierarchical Classification (DHC) to identify frequency patterns and thematic connections. The results highlight a predominance of regulations focused on land-use planning and infrastructure, with less emphasis on conservation and sustainable resource use. The absence of a centralized MP weakens management, leading to regulatory fragmentation and prioritization of urban and economic demands over environmental preservation. The findings emphasize the need for integrated policies that reconcile urban development and conservation. Establishing a participatory MP is essential to ensure the ecological and socio-economic resilience of the BTS EPA, contributing to a more sustainable governance model.