PROPOSAL OF MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION IN PRIVATE PROTECTED AREAS IN BRAZIL

Abstract

Protected areas are the most effective way to conserve nature we know, maintaining ecosystem services and ecological processes essential to the population. In the face of constant threats through which they pass the protected areas, it is important to evaluate the actions and management strategies applied to these sites. Proper management meets the unity of creation goals, making it effective in fulfilling its role. This article presents an adaptation of Cifuentes, Izurieta and Faria (2000) management assessment methodology, to be applied especially in private protected areas in Brazil. This adaptation follows the provisions present in the specific legislation for private reserves, evaluating elements legal, administrative, institutional, scientific, and financial protection and planning. Four areas and sixteen variables are proposed to be analyzed to frame these units in five different management categories and thus be able to point individually and on management field the main problems found in private conservation areas. This proposal allows for a more adjusted framed evaluation in the Brazilian environment protection, taking into account the difficulties encountered by owners of these areas. If applied sequentially this methodology enables a continuous monitoring of the progress achieved. Like any other methodology, this must be constantly adapted to the objectives and different conditions found in the place where to insert.