Challenges to Participatory Management from the Perspective of Managers and Counselors of the Arvoredo Marine Biological Reserve, Santa Catarina

Abstract

Protected areas (PAs) are locations legally protected whose main function is the conservation of biodiversity. They are an environmental policy instrument and a governmental strategy of territorial planning. Social participation in the implementation of PAs is guaranteed by law and organized into specific institutional arrangements, called councils. However, there are still many challenges to achieve a full participative management of these protected areas. The objective of the study that supports this article was to analyze the social participation developed in the process of the creation and functioning of the advisory council of the Arvoredo Marine Biological Reserve (REBIO), Santa Catarina.  In order to achieve the objectives of this study, qualitative analysis methodologies were used. Data collection involved bibliographical and documental research and semi-structured interviews with selected interlocutors (counselors and managers). The documental information, especially the minutes of the meetings, revealed important aspects of the functioning of the council, including the issues and the dynamics of the forum. The interviews allowed to analyze the functioning of the council from the view of the participants, pointing out the aspects about which there is more or less convergence. The integrated analysis of the data collected focused on the main challenges to have the full functioning of the council, identified and grouped in the following themes: lack of representativeness, low effectiveness and lack of clear understanding of the role of the council. From these notes, some suggestions for the improvement of this participatory process are presented, however, it is fundamental that the members of the council assume the central role in the debate about the focus of this participation.