Social Cartography and the Defense of the Traditional Caiçara Territory of Trindade (Paraty, RJ, Brazil)

Abstract

Ensuring the traditional way of life of Caiçara communities is an important component of climate change adaptation policy. The overlap of the Caixa d’Aço Cove territory in Trindade with the Serra da Bocaina National Park restricts the maintenance of their livelihood and, hence, the rights of a Caiçara community to keep their ancient practices. Accounts such as “The Caixa d’Aço is the life of this community” and “It is our main artisanal fishing area” support this. To help this community resolve this conflict, Observatory of Sustainable and Healthy Territories used social mapping, which allows the self-recognition of their territory by the participants, mobilizes the community, legitimizes concerns and strengthens empirical knowledge. The community is the protagonist of the activities and the production of knowledge, choosing whichever information is relevant to characterize its territory in their perspective—usage areas and forms of management, sociocultural relations, conflicts and ways to overcome them. Use of GPS and geographic information systems (GIS) technology allowed more precise mapping of data, claims and demands, strengthening the community’s positions in negotiating arenas. Social mapping was an important tool in understanding the perception of the community over its territory and the relationships that make up this space, which helped dealing with challenges generated by recent environmental changes.