Estudo de áreas de preservação permanente em ambiente urbano diante das alterações normativas e suas consequências a longo prazo

Abstract

The Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) perform a crucial role in protecting vital ecosystems, such as springs, native vegetation, and riparian vegetation, and started to be first discussed in the Forest Code of 1934. However, the protection strips established for these areas often lack scientific basis, particularly when regulations are amended. This study, which is qualitative and exploratory in nature, analyzes changes in legislation regulating PPAs in urban environments, as well as the evolution of environmental protection laws and their environmental impacts, highlighting, through case studies of Brazilian cities, the consequences of these modifications. Through this comparative analysis, the results emphasize the importance of environmental preservation and contribute to the reflection on the (in)effectiveness of public policies in preserving PPAs and associated ecosystems, highlighting the legislative fragility, and also to pointing out the main impacts caused by the suppression of these areas, such as soil erosion, water pollution, loss of biodiversity, risks of flooding and landslides, among others.