Abstract

TISCHER, Vinicius; FARIAS ESPINOZA, Helia del Carmen  and  MARENZI, Rosemeri Carvalho. Social-environmental indicators in applied management of coastal environments: Case study Santa Catarina, Brazil. Invest. Geog [online]. 2015, n.86, pp.53-66. ISSN 2448-7279.  https://doi.org/10.14350/rig.38541.

The coastal region of the State of Santa Catarina in Brazil which includes the coastal promontories of Penha, Balneário Camboriú and Itajaí, is among the areas most affected by urbanization in that area, and consequently suffers pressure on natural resources causing destruction or degradation. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the main vectors of pressure on coastal promontories of Penha (São Roque and Monge), Itajaí (Farol de Cabeçudas) and Balneario Camboriú (Taquaras and Taquarinhas). This analysis was based on social and environmental indicators, which tend to facilitate the communicability of complex phenomena and to give subsidy to public managers and civilians, since that simplify complex concepts. For this analysis it was performed a fieldwork in the studies areas, bibliographic and documentary research applicant to the impacts and activities in these areas, as well as research based on data relating to tourism, water quality and demographic development of the municipalities. To evaluate the quality of bathing of beaches in the vicinity of areas of study, it was used the data of the monitoring carried out periodically by the environmental agency of the State of Santa Catarina The diagnosis about the demographic characteristics was developed through research of the evolution of population density of municipalities based on the 1991, 2000 and 2010 census, and population counts in 1996 and. For projections of the evolution of population, for the year 2050 in the municipalities under study, it was used the methodology used by the institute IBGE (governmental institute of statistics). The data on tourism were provided by SANTUR (government institute of tourism), with data for the years 2005-2009 of the amount of tourists on these areas. The analysis was also correlated with the number of beds of occasional use and vacant, to estimate the number of second homes or the number of tourist beds. After the compilation of data and indicators, it was constructed an index of Level of Pressure (LP) composed of three indicators: demographic density, Population Growth and Tourism. The higher the density, population growth and the expressiveness of tourism, the higher the level of pressure, thus establishing a relationship of proportionality between of the Level of Pressure, with the following classes: very high, high, medium, low, very low. This level was combined with the water bathing index (classified as proper or improper) and the Access Level to areas with the purpose of verify which areas with the greatest threats. The access level was classified in three levels: low, medium and high. The higher the rating, the better the local road infrastructure and consequent ease to access it. It was found that the major sources of pressure are population growth and tourism, which end up generating a series of effects to the natural environment. It is possible to observe that the promontories, in generally, has their flora preserved. The bathing water quality is proper for the municipality of Penha, however, in Itajaí there are deteriorating trends, as well as in the outfall of the lagoon of Taquaras in Balneario Camboriu with improper quality, due to sewage releases. Upon analysis of the data, it was found that the combination of the pressure levels with water quality and level of access to the promontories pointed that the promontory of Balneário Camboriu have the greatest threats, with a level of pressure (LP) very high; besides the improper water quality, and access level (AL) high, causing great pressure on the natural resources do promontory. In conclusion, it has been verified the need to expand environmental studies and carry out actions for environmental protection and regulation of land use in these areas of high environmental interest. As regards the use of indicators, these allow to establish relationships and understanding of compact and simplified way of how complex and synergistic phenomena, such as tourism and population growth, interfere with the environmental integrity manifested in these areas and/or municipalities. This interaction approaches the community to monitoring the effectiveness of public policies, as well as supports public managers as guides on planning and to establish goal.

Keywords : Socio-environmental indicators; environmental management; environmental pressure; social control and public policies; marine and coastal environments.