ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE IN PROTECTED AREAS AND WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE SITES: IMPACTS OF MANAGEMENT ON TOURISM IN FERNANDO DE NORONHA (PE/Brazil)
Tourism development. Environmental governance. Socioenvironmental conflicts. Participation board.
This study aims to analyze the management and governance structure in Fernando de Noronha (PE, Brazil), a marine protected area recognized as a World Natural Heritage Site, based on the conflicts that led to the formalization of a shared management agreement and its implications for the quest to balance environmental conservation and tourism development. To this end, the study examines the historical context of the island’s formation and its management and governance, conflicts over land use, and the established territorial management instruments, taking into account the participatory bodies—the Management Council of the Environmental Protection Area (APA) and the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park, as well as the Fernando de Noronha Tourism Council—as forums for mediating interests. The research is exploratory in nature, employing a mixed-methods approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative methods, based on a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with focus groups and key stakeholders, particularly those involved in participatory bodies. Finally, direct field observations during both the high and low seasons complement the analysis of this unique Brazilian tourist destination.