Conservation Units and their effectiveness in protecting water resources in the Araguaia River Drainage Basin

Abstract

The Araguaia River basin corresponds to 4.53% of the Brazilian territory and is the target of an intense occupation process and environmental impacts which compromise its socio-environmental integrity. Among the various conservation and environmental preservation strategies instructed by Brazilian environmental policies, conservation units (UCs) can assist in the territorial and environmental management strategies of river basins to preserve the country’s natural resources. The aim of this article is to understand the context of creation, quantity, distribution and the effectiveness of conservation units within the Araguaia River basin. We were able to identify 49 conservation units in the basin, which represents only 9.42% of its territory. These units were organized by Category (Fully Protected or Sustainable Use), Area (ha), Decree/Law of creation, presence or not of a Management Council and Management Plan, Municipalities which comprise the conservation units and the Responsible Body for administering and managing the UCs (Federal, State or Municipal). Thus, it was evidenced that the UCs are not evenly distributed in the basin area, and there is no protection - in any conservation unit category - of any of the springs of the main tributaries of the Araguaia River. Accordingly, the effectiveness of the areas is compromised by the absence of management instruments and the historical recurrence of deforestation and fires.

Keywords:
Conservation Units; Araguaia River Basin; SNUC