Os instrumentos de gestão ambiental no Rio Grande do Norte: uma análise sob a ótica do planejamento

Abstract

The ongoing environmental transformations highlight the importance of organizations and federal entities creating changes in their scope to incorporate measures that have a lesser impact on nature. At the state and municipal level, swift and responsive environmental management is one of the main alternatives for protecting and caring for natural resources and local biodiversity. Therefore, this study aims to analyze how municipal planning instruments contribute to strengthening environmental management in Rio Grande do Norte. The state's municipalities have six planning instruments; their integration and implementation promote the economic, social, and sustainable development of local governments. The study focused on the Institute for Sustainable Development and the Environment of Rio Grande do Norte (IDEMA/RN) and the municipalities of Rio Grande do Norte. Methodologically, to achieve the established objectives, a qualitative method was used in the form of a case study; furthermore, the research is characterized as applied, with an exploratory and descriptive approach. From this perspective, this study addressed the main environmental management laws, the relationship between the Rio Grande do Norte state environmental agency and municipalities, and the instruments used to foster and shape environmental management in that state. The results revealed that Rio Grande do Norte municipalities possess a significant portion of the planning instruments, but they face challenges related to human resources and conflicts of interest. Furthermore, licensing, which is one of the most important environmental management tools, is implemented by few municipalities, generating numerous negative impacts. Furthermore, the results of the work carried out by the state environmental agency reflect the lack of structure within municipal environmental departments. The conclusion is that the state needs to increasingly develop public policies and laws that create greater rigor in the use of these instruments by municipalities; furthermore, there should be greater investment in trained professionals to work in local environmental management. It is expected that the rules and regulations on environmental matters, according to the natural specificities of the state, can be improved taking into account their potential, so that there is in fact sustainable development in RN.