In Brazil, environmental zoning policies are produced for different territorial areas and distinct goals. Despite the fact that Ecological-Economic Zoning - as this instrument is also known - was regulated in 2002, there are no standard methodologies used in the process of producing environmental zoning studies. This paper establishes a set of criteria to analyze environmental zoning as a tool for land use and spatial planning in the context of the Brazilian National Environmental Policy (NEP). A literary and document review is presented and three case studies are analyzed. While it is possible to conclude that not all environmental zoning studies have achieved their goals, it can be argued that one positive aspect of the instrument is their use as a source of systematized information on the environment and subsequent contribution to the achievement of NEP goals.
Environmental policy; Territorial planning; Environmental zoning
