Water Use and Conservation at the Environmental Protection Area of Brilhante, Santa Catarina - Brazil

摘要

During the last decades the concern about how to preserve water resources for future generations has become a priority issue in global development. Human occupation in rural tropical watersheds has been contributing to a steady degradation of water and other natural resources. Agricultural expansion, deforestation and a lack of wastewater treatment are conditions that threaten the environmental quality of the Environmental Protection Area of Brilhante (APA Brilhante), located in Santa Catarina, South Brazil. The area, being largely covered by native Atlantic Rain Forest holds a number of natural springs, important for the overall quality conservation and distribution of water in rural parts of the municipality. In APA Brilhante land use is permitted, although, it should be done in accordance with the principles of sustainability. This paper explores how the socio-environmental conditions contribute to possible threats for water quality and highlight the potential for alternative land uses. A field survey was elaborated based on family interviews that lived inside or near the protected area. Results show that degrading soil and water quality combined with pollution are the main environmental concerns for the population. If no alternative land use practises are applied, the environmental conditions will continue to degrade. Thus, intelligent management, based on a broad socio-environmental understanding and effective stakeholder collaboration is needed to protect the landscape and secure the environmental benefits that people can derive from working with nature. Initial findings indicate that farmers do hold a substantial amount of knowledge about the resources around them, although, people request more information on how to conserve water, soil and vegetation and how to strengthen their self-sustainability in food production. The study concludes that the Brilhante community possesses great potential for converting into more sustainable land management practises and could become a good example of sustainable land use among similar protected areas.