Experiences on Utilization of Participative Methodology for the Construction of Coastal Management Instruments in the Amapa State, Brazil

The Amapa State Coastal Management Program (GERCO-AP) had to be redefined in 1997 because of various occurrences. At that time, the inherent program activies began with the existence of a legal basis (State Law No. 0188 de 12/19/1994 regulated by the Decree No. 4112 de 10/17/1996). At that moment, a diagnosis of the Estuarine Coastal Sector was initiated, which consisted in a broad participatory process where the local communities of six (6) municipalities played a key role. The study consisted of the conduction of workshops which included 171 communities and more than 2000 people. Together with the GERCO’s team technical expertise, the diagnosis could be validated by all society segments and was finalized originating a digital media publication (CD-ROM) funded by the Environmental National Program II of the Ministry of Environment (MMA/PNMA II). Additionally, as the MMA/PNMA II premise, from the diagnosis information and a new round of workshops with the comunities, the GERCO-AP executed actions towards the: i) conclusion of the Ecological Economic Zoning of the Estuarine Coastal Sector (ZEEC); ii) the preparation of preliminary documents for the review of the law of Amapa Coastal Management State Plan (approved and sanctioned at 05/25/2007) and the ZEEC decree; and iii) implementation of the ORLA Project at the Macapa and Santana cities, considering an effective participatory process as a differential practice to format the Waterfront Intervention Plan. In this process, the GERCO-AP intend to attain the consolidation and implantation of the National Coastal Management Plan (PNGC) instruments, collectively with the society, with the aim that the appropriation of the actions be not only by the public administration but also by the people that directly depend on the coastal area resources. All the working processes are based on the understanding that the public authority act as political and jurisdictional entities and the society as definers of interventions on the broad aspects of its reality. Additionally, this work aims to show all others publications originated from the construction processes of participatory management instruments and their applicabilities.