Federal act N. 13.800/2019: Conceptual aspects for using endowments in protected areas in Brazil

Abstract

Protected areas are one of the best strategies for in situ biodiversity conservation. In Brazil, these areas were organized by Federal Act n. 9.985/2000, which provides the creation and management of these natural areas. However, the scarcity of resources of the Public Authority has been causing a series of problems (absence of management plans and land regularization). This issue re-emerged the private versus public debate on biodiversity management. In countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom these areas may benefit from the endowments that are created to receive donations to support specific causes or organizations, an issue that is still little known in Brazil’s environmental context. On the national scene, Federal Act n. 13.800/2019 was recently created which regulates endowments. This research aimed to analyze the applicability of Brazilian legislation on endowments as financial resources for protected areas. The methodology used was bibliography and documental research on endowments through the analysis of their respective legislation. The results demonstrate that the use of endowments for biodiversity conservation requires big reservations, mainly about the ownership of environmental assets and the public interest in this management.