Geoconservação e risco de degradação em ambientes costeiros: uma proposta de avaliação do geopatrimônio costeiro dos munícipios de Raposa-MA e Galinhos-RN, Brasil

Abstract

Geodiversity is a necessary topic within the scope of geosciences and environmental planning and management. Its emergence brought to the environmental and applied sciences the rescue of the importance of discussions about the potential and conservation of abiotic resources through geoconservation. In this context, we highlight coastal environments, which constitute fragile areas, since they are in transition situations between the continent, the sea and the atmosphere and present high rates of human occupation and consequently are exposed to various forms of land use. In this way, we highlight the need for geoconservation of priority sites of coastal geodiversity, taking into account their potential and the risks of degradation to which they are exposed. Geoheritage assessment methodologies are essential tools for thinking about strategies for geoconservation and environmental management. The general objective of this thesis is to contribute methodologically with the proposal of criteria that can help the evaluation of coastal geoheritage considering its potentialities, vulnerabilities and weaknesses from the specificities of coastal environments, making in this work an analysis of the coastal geodiversity of the municipalities of Raposa (MA) and Galinhos (RN). The methodological course of this research was based mainly on the collection of bibliographic and cartographic material on the themes and areas of study, field activities for data collection and application of an inventory form of the coastal sites identified in both areas, application of the methodology of quantification with the criteria proposed in this work and spatialization of quantification data from geoprocessing techniques. The analysis carried out in two study areas enabled the compression of coastal geodiversity in different geoenvironmental contexts and enabled the proposal of criteria that would contemplate different coastal realities. The municipalities of Raposa (MA) and Galinhos (RN) presented coastal sites of national and international relevance that are directly associated with the highest averages obtained in relation to the risk of degradation. Tourism in both areas was identified as a factor causing negative environmental impacts and responsible for the landscape conservation of the area, with geotourism being considered a tool that would bring gains in terms of use and conservation for both realities. The evaluation of coastal geoheritage based on specific criteria aimed at the coastal zone proved to be effective in identifying specific potentialities and threats that could enable the future planning of more precise geoconservation strategies for the two study areas.