ABSTRACT. The creation of the protected areas (PAs) of restricted use dominates conservation policies throughout the world and reflects the western idea of separation between pristine nature and human-modified habitats. However, this conservation strategy has caused the proliferation of environmental conflicts involving territorial rights of traditional peoples and local communities throughout the world. Our study aims to analyze the impacts of the creation of a system of PAs of restricted use on the livelihoods and well-being of traditional communities in the north of Minas Gerais State, in Brazil. We analyzed the conflicts emerging in the study region from the perspective of the environmental justice paradigm. We used the extended-case method, conducting fieldwork to observe and register the movements of social resistance of traditional communities, and interviews with key stakeholders. Between 1970Between -1990, the Jaíba irrigation project was implemented in the north of Minas Gerais and, to compensate for the huge environmental impact of the project, several PAs of restricted use were created, disregarding the traditional peoples that inhabited the region. As a consequence, these populations were expelled from their territories without compensation or resettlement, causing severe restrictions to their traditional livelihoods and well-being, including access to natural resources such as water, fisheries and timber, and nontimber products, jeopardizing their food security, cultural identity, and social integrity. They initiated the "Movement of the People Cornered by Parks," lately evolving to "Vazanteiros in Movement," incorporating elements of the environmental arena to politically dispute alternative conservation projects. Sustainable development policies that incorporate the "economy of repair," expressed as environmental compensation strategies, are intrinsically contradictory and inappropriate from the perspective of environmental justice. Inclusive conservation planning must account for historical, social, and cultural contexts of the affected region and prioritize the preservation of rights and well-being of local communities.
Clearing tropical vegetation impacts biodiversity, the provision of ecosystem services, and thus ultimately human welfare. We quantified changes in land cover from 2000 to 2015 across the Cerrado biome of northern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. We assessed the potential biophysical and socio-economic drivers of the loss of Cerrado, natural regeneration and net cover change at the municipality level. Further, we evaluated correlations between these land change variables and indicators of human welfare. We detected extensive land-cover changes in the study area, with the conversion of 23 446 km
2
and the natural regeneration of 13 926 km
2
, resulting in a net loss of 9520 km
2
. The annual net loss (−1.2% per year) of the cover of Cerrado is higher than that reported for the whole biome in similar periods. We argue that environmental and economic variables interact to underpin rates of conversion of Cerrado, most severely affecting more humid Cerrado lowlands. While rates of Cerrado regeneration are important for conservation strategies of the remaining biome, their integrity must be investigated given the likelihood of encroachment. Given the high frequency of land abandonment in tropical regions, secondary vegetation is fundamental to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services. Finally, the impacts of Cerrado conversion on human welfare likely vary from local to regional scales, making it difficult to elaborate land-use policies based solely on socio-economic indicators.
This article is part of the themed issue ‘Tropical grassy biomes: linking ecology, human use and conservation’.
Este texto tem como objetivo apresentar o processo de ambientalização das lutas sociais das comunidades de Pau Preto, Pau de Légua e Quilombo da Lapinha, no Norte de Minas Gerais, que as ressignificaram nos "Vazanteiros em Movimento", além da análise do conflito ambiental territorial, parte da perspectiva da Ecologia Política e da Sociologia Crítica. Foram analisados documentos de instituições públicas ambientais e jurídicas, atas e relatórios de pesquisas referentes ao processo de mobilização social e formação política dos "Vazanteiros em Movimento". Foi realizado trabalho de campo etnográfico no período de 2006 à 2012, entrevistas com os distintos atores envolvidos no conflito e a utilização do "extended-case method" (método de estudo de caso detalhado) ou "análise situacional", com o objetivo de demonstrar os eventos sociais etnografados em sua perspectiva processual e histórica. Os resultados revelam as contradições da ideologia do desenvolvimento sustentável, que possibilitou a consolidação do agronegócio na região, através dos parques compensatórios ao projeto de fruticultura irrigada e a emergência de um importante movimento social de reivindicação territorial no campo ambiental.
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