Urban Parks in Belém

Hydro-climatic-botanical functionalities and dissemination of knowledge and culture in the State of Pará

Abstract

The city of Belém is currently experiencing rapid urban occupation and a large part of its vegetation cover is gradually being occupied by paved roads, rivers channeled through large macro-drainage projects, and clusters of residences, making temperatures increasingly higher in the urban center, compromising thermal comfort. In this sense, the objective of the research is to investigate, through the theoretical framework and on-site technical visit, the role of urban parks as areas of high hydroclimatic and botanical function, such as the Rodrigues Alves Botanical Garden and the Emílio Goeldi Museum of Pará. The main results identified both parks as symbols of the relationship of the people of Pará with nature, with botanical species of immense representation, including species representative of the Terra Firme, Várzea and Igapó Forests, such as Açai, Ingá, Andiroba, Copaíba and Vitória Régia. Furthermore, the urban center is almost 100% waterproofed, so the parks are important rainwater sinks, recharging the water table in the topographically privileged areas of the city, a runoff effect. Regarding the scientific and cultural role of the two parks, the Rodrigues Alves Park stands out for selling handicrafts and food to visitors and for school visits. On the other hand, the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi offers an appropriation of scientific knowledge in archaeology, paleontology and zoology produced by researchers linked to the institution, transformed into entertainment, through exhibitions such as living fossils that combine technology such as artificial intelligence and the dissemination of science in an efficient manner.