Designing Ecological Habitats - Gaia Education

Impact, Recovery & Conservation
of Coastal Ecosystems in Brasil
Introduction
A recurring theme throughout Module 4 is the interconnections between social, cultural,
and political influences in any environmental restoration effort. Erian Ozorio, co-organizer
of EDEs in Rio de Janeiro, highlights these connections in her report about restoration of
the mangrove ecosystems surrounding Guanabara Bay. Another recurring theme is the
necessity of ongoing education with local populations who may not be aware of the
larger consequences of their immediate actions. Erian instructs on this point as well.
Fortunately, one other recurring theme is that given the will, it can be done – thanks to
the devoted commitment of people like Erian Ozorio and countless others like her working
in NGOs all over the world (and organizing EDEs in their spare time!).
Antonia Erian Ozório da Silva –
Foundation Ondazul, Brasil
In Brasil, it is estimated that the amount of degraded soil exceeds 200
million hectares. Coastal biomes (Caatinga), open fields (Cerrado), Amazon
Forest, and Atlantic Forest (Pantanal) are all directly affected by actions
such as deforestation, mining, construction of roads and railways, dumping
of waste material, introduction of exotic species, inappropriate farming
methods, construction of dams, and placement of industrial areas among
other actions that result in immediate impact on soil fertility.
There are various techniques to restore vegetation in degraded areas.
For each biome, there are proper techniques that accelerate the recovery
process, even in places where the soil has been exposed. Universities and
research institutions have been studying feasible and cost-effective methods
for these purposes.
The continuous interference of human activities on Brasil’s continental
aquatic systems has had direct and indirect consequences, causing impact
on water quality, aquatic biota and the operation of lakes, rivers and dams.
Brasil’s vast water resources are of great ecological, economic and
social significance. The management, conservation and restoration of these
ecosystems have repercussions on the economy, the use of aquatic systems
and society as a whole. This management is very complex due to significant
geomorphological, ecological and anthropological differences in the various
latitudes of Brasil, thus emphasizing the importance of a compatible
scientific database to support the restoration activities.
Regarding the degradation of coastal ecosystems, restoration is an activity
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