A Biosphere Reserve Teams Up With Green Tourism

摘要

Under threat from urban development and demographics, the Sao Paulo City Green 'Belt Biosphere Reserve in Brazil is receiving an increasing number of visitors. A plan to teach sustainable tourism is designed to make the local young people aware of the fragile nature of their environment while also lifting them out of the poverty trap. The road that leads to Paranapiacaba crosses the heart of the Mata Atlantica, the Brazilian Atlantic forest. This little town is dependent on Santo Andre, one of the towns in the suburbs of Sao Paulo that is part of what is known as the "Green Belt". In summer, the road is sprinkled with manacas flowers, whose white and violet colours contrast with the green of the abundant vegetation. It is difficult to believe that such a natural paradise can exist near to a megalopolis of 17.8 million people like Sao Paulo. And that in the space of barely 40 minutes, you can go from a world of concrete and asphalt to this ocean of greenery. But this paradise is under threat from the anarchic urbanization of the surrounding towns. With already 92 percent of its original surface area lost, Mata Atlantica is a victim of the attraction it holds for the people of the Sao Paulo region. Already a popular destination for Sao Paulo residents, the forest is attracting increasing numbers of foreign tourists with disastrous consequences for the environment.