Conflitos ambientais e conservação da natureza em propriedades privadas do semiárido paraibano: as contradições do modelo RPPN.

Abstract

One of main lines of the conservacionist policy introduced in Brazil has been the formation of conservation units, among them stands out the modality of Private Reserve of Natural Patrimony (RPPN), totalizing 429 units in Brazil, 36 in northeast semi arid. This work analyses the model of conservation from which comes the creation of these private conservation units, focusing in protected private areas in semi arid region. The social dynamics related with the creation of the Private Reserve involves land owners, near by populations and public organisms, adressed in this paper in terms of combined process of enviromental change, conservacionists policy and marginalization of social groups, in the political ecology approach. The research developed in the RPPNs Fazenda Almas, Major Badu Loureiro e Tamanduá revealed the contradictions of this model of conservation initiative: public and private uncertainty about responsibilities and rights, conflicts with the near by populations and the obstacles of involving them in the creation and reserve support process; and conflicts between nature conservation and resources exploration, for example, wood, hunt and natural pasture. These contradictions are increased in semi arid regions in Paraíba, marked by the caatinga degradation, land concentration, low indexes of human development and by the relations of "clientelismo".