Contemporary Quantitative Analysis of Events Such as Downgrading, Resizing and Declassification of Federalized Protected Areas in Brazil

Abstract

Thispaperpresentsacontemporaryanalyticalandquantitativestudyof protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement-type events of federalized protected areas in Brazil. In view of its continentaldimensions, it has faced strong pressures to build sustainable conservation standards,which culminated in a long and brilliant process of updating and perfecting its environmentallegislation, considered one of the most modern in the world. However, due to the whimsof the capitalist system, Brazil had to relinquish land within environmental preservation areas soroadandhydroelectricinfrastructuresystemscouldbeexpandedtobetterservethepopulation.Faced with this scenario, some critical questions arise: how did the “Conservation Units” (UC’s) in Brazil originate? How many of these UCs are under federal governance? Howmany protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD) events of conservation areas haveaffected or influenced federal UCs? What are the primary provocative tendencies of these PADDDevents?WhatcanbesuggestedtominimizetheeffectsofPADDDeventsontheexistingUCsintheBrazilian territory? Employing bibliographic surveys and analysis of data related to the PADDDevents in Brazil and on the federal UCs, provided by institutes involved in environmental preservation, we will arrive at the most satisfactory and coherent answers to theaforementionedquestions.