Abstract
In the 1970s, the social impacts of protected areas (PAs) began to be widely recognized as conservationist thinking and human rights evolved to an acceptance that conservation can be achieved in collaboration with traditional communities. However, such a 'human face' given to conservation is still not present in some 21st century PAs: Catimbau National Park - CNP (Northeast Brazil) is a strict protection park which does not allow people residing inside its borders. Thirteen years after its creation, people are still confused about the monetary compensations and displacements strategies. In this study, a review of the bibliography concerning the CNP is performed and a proposal is made to change the current park classification from National Park to Natural Monument, allowing for private areas and their residents, providing that their use of its natural resources is compatible with the conservation objectives stipulated.
Keywords:
Protected areas; traditional communities; social impacts; semiarid region; Kapinawá
