EDUCAÇÃO E PARTICIPAÇÃO QUALIFICADA: UM OUTRO CAMINHO POSSÍVEL PARA GESTÃO AMBIENTAL PÚBLICA

Abstract

This thesis aimed to analyze the relevance of qualified participation, mediated by Critical Environmental Education, as a strategic tool for improving Public Environmental Management (PEM). The study is based on the Training Cycles in Socio-environmental Management promoted by ICMBio, which address topics such as Environmental Education, Participatory Management, and Conflict Management within the context of Protected Area (PA) and the conservation of endangered wildlife species. Grounded in authors such as Paulo Freire, Enrique Leff, Philippe Layrargues e José da Silva Quintas, the research understands Environmental Education as a management tool and participation as a formative, critical, and politically situated practice. The methodology adopted was a case study, with content analysis of documents, interviews, and projects developed by course participants working in two CUs—one of full protection and another of sustainable use—and in Research Centers linked to National Action Plans (NAPs). The results indicate that the training processes broaden the understanding of socioenvironmental conflicts, strengthen shared management, and value local knowledge. It is concluded that Critical Environmental Education, by qualifying social participation, contributes to more democratic environmental management practices, sensitive to sociocultural diversity and more effective in conserving sociobiodiversity.