Geodiversidade e política em ambiente cárstico potiguar: o caso de Felipe Guerra/RN

Abstract

Relief aspects are important criteria in the definition of Conservation Units. In the municipality of Felipe Guerra, located in the semi-arid region of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, there are karstic features that may justify the creation of an area of protection for such morphologies. Thus, the objective of this research is to analyze the need to create a Conservation Unit that integrates the speleological heritage of Felipe Guerra / RN with the human activities developed there. The methodology is based on qualitative research and was developed in three stages: the bibliographic review of articles, electronic websites, theses and dissertations with information about the text; the field activity, in which interviews were made with the residents of the site and visitation of the caves and the treatment of the data collected. The results indicate that the municipality of Felipe Guerra presents a great tourist potential, besides the possibilities of scientific research. It was identified the existence of a project to create a Management Plan for the management of cavity use. However, because of its inconclusion, it makes it impossible for human activities to be regularized, and that could somehow generate income for the municipality of Felipe Guerra. It was also verified that some residents of the municipality still do not know the need to protect karstic features.