Geoconservation in the Brazilian Environmental Agenda

Public Policies, Legislation, and Application in the Urban Geodiversity of São Carlos

Abstract

Objective – This study aims to analyze how Brazilian federal environmental policies and legislation incorporate geoconservation as a strategy for protecting geodiversity, with emphasis on the case study of urban geological sites in São Carlos (SP).

Methodology – The research adopted a qualitative approach based on documentary and normative analysis, examining the main federal legal instruments that directly or indirectly address the conservation of abiotic elements. This analysis was complemented by applying the results to the survey of urban geological sites conducted by the extension project Geodiversamente: Geodiversidade em espaços comuns.

Originality/relevance – The study addresses the theoretical and regulatory gap regarding the treatment of geodiversity as an autonomous environmental asset. Despite international conceptual advances, geodiversity remains underrecognized in Brazilian public policies, often being approached indirectly. The analysis is relevant for linking this discussion to the urban context, a field still incipient in national literature.

Results – Findings reveal that Brazilian environmental legislation, although robust in relation to biodiversity and natural resources, treats geodiversity in a fragmented and indirect manner. Instruments such as the National System of Conservation Units (SNUC), the National Water Resources Policy, and the Native Vegetation Protection Law provide partial and indirect protection to geological elements but lack technical criteria and systematization. In the case of São Carlos, significant urban geodiversity was observed under environmental pressures, without specific municipal regulatory support.

Theoretical/methodological contributions – The study consolidates a comparative analysis of federal legal instruments applicable to geoconservation, highlighting regulatory gaps and proposing the need for standardized technical criteria for geosite inventory and management. Methodologically, it reinforces the relevance of normative analysis applied to local case studies.

Social and environmental contributions – The research underscores the importance of geodiversity for urban sustainability, emphasizing its role in territorial planning, environmental education, and natural hazard mitigation. By pointing out pathways for specific public policies, the study contributes to building more resilient cities and to valuing geological heritage as strategic natural capital.