An environmental protection area (: APA) is a type of protected area in Brazil that has some degree of human occupation, but where the primary intent is environmental protection. Human occupation is monitored and controlled. An environmental protection area often contains other types of conservation units, which may be more strictly protected.

Definition

Environmental protection areas (APAs) are defined as part of the National System of Conservation Units regulated by Law 9985 of 18 July 2000. They are one of the types of sustainable use units, which try to reconcile conservation of nature with sustainable use of some natural resources. Other types of sustainable use unit are significant ecological interest area, national forest, extractive reserve, fauna reserve, sustainable development reserve, and natural heritage particular reserve.

As of 1993 APAs were defined as areas where wildlife, genetic diversity and other natural resources were to be conserved through adequate and sustainable use for the benefit of the local population, following a management plan to harmonise the various human activities. The APA was the closest concept to the Biosphere Reserve in Brazilian law, the main difference being that a strictly protected core zone was not required. However, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) was drawing up new definitions that would include the requirement for core zones in APAs.

An APA may be public or private. Its main goal is to protect areas that are important to the well being and quality of life of humans through protecting biodiversity. Often they cover huge areas, with no buffer zone between the APA and unprotected areas. They fall under IUCN protected area category V: protected landscape/seascape. As of 2015 APAs accounted for 30% of protected areas. APA coverage in Brazil was: Federal: State: Municipal: Environmental protection areas have a certain amount of human occupation, and may have environmental aspects that are important for aesthetic or cultural reasons to human populations. An APA does not require that land be expropriated, but does impose specific requirements on land use. An APA may contain other types of protected area, and must have a wildlife conservation area. Federal APAs are administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).

The APA concept is derived from the Portuguese concept of Parques Naturais, which in turn is derived from the French concept of Parcs Naturels Régionaux. This has resulted in some inconsistencies with Brazilian law, which has caused some criticism.

Selected list

Environmentally protected areas include:

Name Level State Area Created Biome Algodoal-Maiandeua State Pará 2,378 1990 Anhatomirim Federal Santa Catarina 4,437 1992 Atlantic Forest Baía de Camamu State Bahia 118,000 2002 Atlantic Forest Bacia dos Frades State Rio de Janeiro 7,500 1990 Atlantic Forest Bacia do Rio Macacu State Rio de Janeiro 19,508 2002 Atlantic Forest Baixada Maranhense State Maranhão 1,775,040 1991 Amazon Baixo Rio Branco State Roraima 1,207,650 2006 Baleia Franca Federal Santa Catarina 156,100 2000 Barra do Rio Mamanguape Federal Paraíba 14,640 1993 Coastal marine Cabeceiras do Rio Cuiabá State Mato Grosso 473,411 1999 Cairuçu Federal Rio de Janeiro 32,610 1983 Atlantic Forest Cajati State São Paulo 2,976 2008 Atlantic Forest Caminhos Ecológicos de Boa Esperança State Bahia 230,296 2003 Atlantic Forest Campos do Jordão State São Paulo 28,800 1984 Atlantic Forest Campos de Manicoré Federal Amazonas 151,993 2016 Amazon Cananéia-Iguape-Peruíbe Federal São Paulo 202,307 1984 Atlantic Forest Carste de Lagoa Federal Minas Gerais 39,957 1990 Cerrado Caverna do Maroaga State Amazonas 374,700 1990 Amazon Cavernas do Peruaçu Federal Minas Gerais 143,354 1989 Cerrado Chapada do Araripe Federal PiauíCearáPernambuco 1,063,000 1997 Chapada dos Guimarães State Mato Grosso 251,848 1995 Costa das Algas Federal Espírito Santo 112,545 2010 Atlantic Forest Costa dos Corais Federal PernambucoAlagoas 413,563 1997 Curiaú State Amapá 23,000 1998 Delta do Parnaíba Federal MaranhãoPiauíCeará 313,800 1996 Descoberto River Basin Federal Federal District 41,064 1983 Cerrado Fazendinha State Amapá 137 2004 Fernando de Noronha Federal Pernambuco 93,000 1986 Coastal marine Fernão Dias State Minas Gerais 180,073 1997 Atlantic Forest Floresta do Jacarandá State Rio de Janeiro 2,700 1985 Atlantic Forest Foz do Rio Santa Teresa State Tocantins 50,784 1997 Guajuma State Amazonas 28,370 1989 Amazon Guapi-Guapiaçu Municipal Rio de Janeiro 15,538 2004 Atlantic Forest Guapimirim Federal Rio de Janeiro 13,926 1984 Coastal marine Guaraqueçaba Federal Paraná 282,444 1985 Atlantic Forest Guaratuba State Paraná 200,000 1992 Atlantic Forest Ibirapuitã Federal Rio Grande do Sul 316,790 1992 Pampas Igarapé Gelado Federal Pará 23,285 1989 Amazon Igarapé São Francisco State Acre 30,000 2005 Ilha do Bananal / Cantão State Tocantins 1,678,000 1997 Amazon / Cerrado Ilha do Combu State Pará 1,500 1997 Ilha Comprida State São Paulo 17,572 1987 Atlantic Forest Ilhas e Várzeas do Rio Paraná Federal São PauloParanáMato Grosso do Sul 1,003,060 1997 Itapiracó State Maranhão 322 1997 Jalapão State Tocantins 461,730 2000 Lago de Palmas State Tocantins 50,370 1999 Lago de Peixe Angical State Tocantins 78,874 2002 Lago de Santa Isabel State Tocantins 18,608 2002 Lago de São Salvador etc. State Tocantins 14,525 2002 Lago de Tucuruí State Pará 568,667 2002 Lago do Amapá State Acre 5,224 2005 Lagoa Encantada e Rio Almada State Bahia 157,745 1993 Atlantic Forest Lagoa da Jansen State Maranhão 196 1988 Leandro State Tocantins 1,678,000 1997 Macaé de Cima State Rio de Janeiro 35,037 Atlantic Forest Mananciais do Rio Paraíba do Sul Federal São Paulo 292,000 1982 Atlantic Forest Marajó Archipelago State Pará 5,998,570 1989 Coastal marine Maravilha Municipal Rio de Janeiro 1,700 2006 Atlantic Forest Meandros do Rio Araguaia Federal TocantinsMato GrossoGoiás 357,126 1998 Metropolitana de Belém State Pará 7,500 1993 Morro da Pedreira Federal Minas Gerais 131,769 1990 Cerrado Nascentes de Araguaína State Tocantins 15,822 1999 Nascentes do Rio Paraguai State Mato Grosso 77,743 2006 Nascentes do Rio Vermelho Federal Goiás 176,159 2001 Nhamundá State Amazonas 195,900 1990 Paraty Bay Municipal Rio de Janeiro 5,642 1984 Coastal Marine Paytuna State Pará 58,251 2001 Pé da Serra Azul State Mato Grosso 7,980 1994 Petrópolis Federal Rio de Janeiro 68,224 1982 Atlantic Forest Piaçabuçu Federal Alagoas 9,106 1983 Coastal marine Planalto Central Federal GoiásFederal District 504,608 2002 Planalto do Turvo State São Paulo 2,722 2008 Atlantic Forest Quilombos do Médio Ribeira State São Paulo 64,625 2008 Atlantic Forest Reentrâncias Maranhenses State Maranhão 2,680,910 1991 Região de Maracanã State Maranhão 1,831 1991 Rio da Casca State Mato Grosso 39,250 1994 Rio Curiaú State Amapá 21,676 1992 Amazon Rio Madeira State Rondônia 5,554 1991 Amazon Rio Negro Left Bank State Amazonas 611,008 1995 Amazon Rio Negro Right Bank State Amazonas 461,741 1995 Amazon Rio Pardinho e Rio Vermelho State São Paulo 3,235 2008 Atlantic Forest Rio Pardo State Rondônia 144,417 2010 Rio Paraíba do Sul Federal São Paulo 1982 Rio São Pedro de Jaceruba Municipal Rio de Janeiro 2,474 Atlantic Forest Salto Magessi State Mato Grosso 7,846 2002 Santa Rosa State Mato Grosso 313,467 2013 São Bartolomeu River Basin Federal Federal District 82,680 1983 Cerrado São Francisco Xavier State São Paulo 11,559 2002 Atlantic Forest São Geraldo do Araguaia State Pará 29,655 1996 São João/Mico-Leão-Dourado River Basin Federal Rio de Janeiro 150,700 2002 Sapucaí Mirim State São Paulo 39,800 1998 Atlantic Forest Serra Branca / Raso da Catarina State Bahia 67,234 2001 Caatinga Serra da Ibiapaba Federal PiauíCeará 1,592,550 1996 Serra da Mantiqueira Federal Minas GeraisRio de JaneiroSão Paulo 421,804 1982 Atlantic Forest Serra do Mar State São Paulo 488,865 1984 Atlantic Forest Serra da Meruoca Federal Ceará 608 2008 Serra de Tabatinga Federal Tocantins 35,185 1990 Cerrado Serra do Lajeado State Tocantins 121,416 1997 Serrinha do Alambari Municipal Rio de Janeiro 5,760 1991 Atlantic Forest Suruí Municipal Rio de Janeiro 14,146 2007 Atlantic Forest Tapajós Federal Pará 2,039,581 2006 Triunfo do Xingu State Pará 1,679,281 2006 Upaon-Açu/Miritiba/Alto Preguiças State Maranhão 1,535,310 1992

See also Environmental governance in Brazil

Notes

Sources