Conservation Units and Sustainable Development Goals: An Examination of the Private Natural Heritage Dona Benta e Seu Caboclo in Brazil

Abstract

The 2030 Agenda is a global action plan presented by the United Nations (UN) that establishes Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs. Conservation Units (UC) are an important element of the strategy towards nature conservation. Starting from a local approach to critically analyze these issues of global relevance, the focus of the investigation is the Dona Benta e Seu Caboclo  Natural Heritage, a private conservation unit located in the municipality of Pirambu in the state of Sergipe and the community surrounding the Lagoa Redonda settlement. The study aimed to analyze the perception of the owner and the community regarding the environment, RPPN, and SDGs in order to build a critical approach to the issues that interconnect nature conservation and sustainable development. The methodology is based on the interview with the owner and a focus group with the community, carried out between January and March 2020. Following these interviews, it was ascertained that there is a divergence in how public and private lands are understood by locals: Private lands are exclusively associated with production, whilst public land is associated with conservation. Community representatives do not recognize RPPN as a conservation area, with those associated objectives. Yet, debates on the environment and sustainable development intertwined with nature conservation are recognized by everyone as a priority. In the end, it is possible to recognize the importance of strengthening a space for coexistence between the local population and the RPPN in order to implement common and transformative actions in favor of conservation, and sustainable development.