CONFLITOS SOCIOAMBIENTAIS NA ÁREA DO PARQUE ESTADUAL SERRA DE SANTO ANTÔNIO, MUNICÍPIO DE CAMPO MAIOR-PIAUÍ

Abstract

Socio-environmental conflicts imply recurring threats to environmental integrity and the living conditions of communities residing in conservation units and their surrounding areas, especially in territories where human presence predates the institutionalization of these areas. The creation of units such as Parks and Environmental Protection Areas (APAs) in already occupied spaces tends to intensify tensions by imposing restrictions on land use, often without full recognition of local practices. This study aims to analyze the socioenvironmental conflicts arising from the creation of the Serra de Santo Antônio State Park, in the municipality of Campo Maior-PI, established in 2019, with an emphasis on changes in the geographical dynamics of the area. The research is based on the analysis of geospatial data on land use and land cover (MapBiomas, 2003–2023), from IBGE (2022), information from the park's Management Plan, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and field observations, articulated with the typology of socio-environmental conflicts. The results indicate that, after 2019, there was an intensification of land use activities, particularly the expansion of anthropogenic areas, the opening of access roads, and the use of the area for housing and agricultural activities within and around the APA (Environmental Protection Area). This highlights the reconfiguration of the local geographic dynamics and contributes to the aggravation of socio-environmental conflicts, especially due to the legal restrictions imposed and the persistence of traditional practices, often dissociated from the formal recognition of the conservation unit. It is concluded that the identified conflicts are related to overlapping land uses, weak implementation of environmental policies, and limited community participation in the management process. This reinforces the need for such processes to involve strategies that consider the specificities of local populations and promote greater integration between environmental conservation and social reality.