Uma análise contextual do funcionamento efetivo e participação popular em uma unidade de conservação: o caso da área de proteção ambiental de Petrópolis (Rio de Janeiro: Brasil)

Nature conservation units have historically suffered with problems involving, for example, public administration and popular legitimacy, which reflect in inefficiency boards and local conflicts at various levels. On this context, the Environmental Protection Area of Petropolis (APA Petropolis) is investigated on this contribution, following the intention to give a systemic overview of this sustainability proposal, observing the local history, public management and popular participation. We propose, indeed, an systemic and integrated analisys of the local landscape, involving studies in local: politics, conservation units management, environmental conflicts. As results, we describe low eficiency public administration anda conflicts of interest and management. The unilateral character of decision making and the environmental zoning, combined with the historical context of inefficient management of responsible public agencies were identified as obstacles to the well functioning of the unit. Created in 1982, the APA proposal is still presented as open and innovative; nevertheless, the innovation suggested by this model collides to the low efficiency of public administration and the preservationist vision, dominant at the technical spheres. It is noteworthy, in addiction: the conflict between the different governmental spheres, as well the conflicts between local interests and the nature conservation act as phenomena that complicate the achievement of proposed conservation practices. We defend that the observation on the diversity of actors playing a role in the APA landscape, and the effective social participation are ways to achieve sustainability goals, and the use of the concept of sociotechnical nets would be valuable to the new views proposed. The university segment is indicated as a provider of important socio-technical links that will serve as levers for social participation, and thus to the knowledge and approach to local actors and local problems.