Mapeamento das potencialidades socioambientais e econômicas do turismo na APA do Miringuava

Abstract

The Miringuava River watershed is located in the municipality of São José dos Pinhais, in the state of Paraná, and constitutes one of the main sources of water supply for the local population, in addition to being part of the watershed system that serves Curitiba, the state capital, and other municipalities in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba. The construction of the Miringuava River dam and reservoir is part of the Water and Sewage Master Plan for the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba. In this context, the demand for the restoration of areas affected by the project tends to stimulate the emergence of new economic activities, promoting income diversification for local communities and involving different social actors both within and around the watershed. Given this scenario, the present research aimed to analyze the socioenvironmental and economic potential of tourism in the Miringuava Environmental Protection Area (APA), in the municipality of São José dos Pinhais – PR, considering Sustainable Tourism as a strategic instrument for the development of local communities. To this end, the following guiding question was established: Can sustainable tourism be a potential instrument for the development of local communities located in the Miringuava River Environmental Protection Area (APA), in the municipality of São José dos Pinhais (PR)? Socioeconomic and environmental challenges are evident, especially regarding the use of water resources and the economic dependence of local populations on agricultural and livestock activities. Thus, the development of this research included the contextualization of the concepts of sustainable development and sustainability applied to tourism, the collection of data from local communities, and the analysis of current conditions for the development of sustainable tourism in the region. As a result, it was found that sustainable tourism presents itself as a potentially compatible strategy for the socioeconomic development of the region, since it promotes the conservation of natural resources, the appreciation of regional culture, and the improvement of the living conditions of local communities.