Instruments for Territorial Planning and Management: Subsidy to the Zoning of the Environmental Protection Area of Cariri – Paraíba

Abstract

The National System of Conservation Units (SNUC) was a breakthrough in the law that creates Conservation Units (UCs) in Brazil. However, many of the UCs are established without management plans and zoning, essential management tools for their effectiveness. The Cariri Environmental Protection Area (APA), located in the state of Paraíba, is an example of a UC that was created but hasn’t progressed towards its implementation. The aim of this article is to propose zoning for the Cariri APA based on two methodologies used at the national scale – IBAMA (2001) – and at the state level – SUDEMA (2017). High-resolution imagery acquired by WorldView-2 and 3 satellites with a spatial resolution of 70 cm was used for zoning mapping. The largest area of the APA should be allocated to the Conservation Zone, where moderate and sustainable use of natural resources is allowed. This is followed by the Protection and Management Zones.