Environmental perception of conservation unities: The look of the rural community of Barrocão surrounding the State Park of Serra do Conduru - BA

Abstract

The current relationship among humans and nature stablished by the capitalist society is characterized by the domination and degradation of natural environments. Thus, for environmental politics, Conservation Unities (UCs) of full protection guarantee the conservation of biodiversity, though there is still no recognition of the important role of local communities in the sustainable management of resources in the process of environmental management and biodiversity conservation. Therefore, the aim of this work was to comprehend the environmental perception of the rural community of Barrocão (Uruçuca-BA) located in the surroundings of the State Park of Serra do Conduru (PESC), identifying the type of relationship stablished between the community and PESC. The study is a qualitative-quantitative research, with phenomenology as its theoretical-methodological matrix. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews with 13 members of the community association Doces e Segredos da Floresta, starting from an itinerary elaborated following the methodological orientations of the environmental perception of Whyte (1977). The analysis showed a distancing between the management of the PESC and the local community, evidencing the absence of the participation of the residents in the processes of creation and management of the UC. Although they establish a conflict relationship with the unit, the residents recognize the park's function and consider it important in the conservation of the environment.