Resumo:
O presente trabalho de dissertação tem como objeto de estudo o contexto de
institucionalização do debate ambiental na história de formação da Guiné-Bissau e suas
políticas de desenvolvimento, com recorte na ideia de desenvolvimento sustentável. It
aims to analyze the development process of Guinea-Bissau, especially the
socioeconomic development policy implemented by the government after the
independence in 1973 and the policy to encourage cashew production in 1980. Both,
through government policies, are at the root of problems of environmental degradation.
The environmental problem in Guinea-Bissau is a subject of recent debate, especially
with the awareness of civil society in the 1990s, which culminated in the emergence of
some NGOs and other organizations that propose the urgence for environmental
preservation and conservation in the country. After independence in 1973, the State of
Guinea-Bissau was proclaimed as the legitimate owner of all lands and rules. Customs
and methods of preserving and conserving the natural environment of local
communities were replaced by state laws, which led to the devaluation, disrespect and
weakening of traditional power. With population growth coupled with economic
interests, the State of Guinea-Bissau was unable to ensure several problems that were
safeguarded by traditional consecration. The State has often created these problems
through its government policies. Cashew, for example, has become a major economic
asset, and as a result, each local community wants to have its own spaces (orchards) for
cashew plantations. As a result, protected areas were created, decreed by the State itself.
These areas are prohibited from being occupied by traditional powers, but can be
destroyed so that the country can grow economically. Under this tension, there is a large
flow of occupation, sales and purchases of land within protected areas, promoted both
by the first inhabitants, before the formal creation of the place as a protected area, and
by the State. Therefore, the influence of the policy of encouraging cashew cultivation,
together with the historical context of economic projects and government development
policies, are sources of several conflicts that did not exist in the past. The National Park
of Cufadas Lake is one of them. NGOs act both as mediators and as promoters of
conflicts, creating clashes between international, national and traditional forces.
