A Criação do Geoparque Bodoquena-Pantanal no mundo da sustentabilidade: a mercantilização da natureza e a produção de territórios

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to analyze the construction of the need for environmental conservation created by modern western society and the formatting of the “World of Sustainability”, considering the production of territories associated to these processes and having as its empirical cut the implantation of the geopark models as conservation areas. As far as the Bodoquena-Pantanal Geopark is concerned, which is the spatial cut for this thesis, it is necessary to say that it was created in Mato Grosso do Sul in 2009. Its area of 39,700 km2 covers thirteen municipalities. Among these municipalities, the attention of this thesis was directed to Nioaque since this municipality has been the only one that has shown great interest and has participated actively in the development process of this state project. The following questions caused disquiet and ended up contributing to guiding the thesis. There are four questions, being: Which interests does the conservation discourse that is embedded in this model intend to address? What should be kept and for whom? Does the creation of a geopark contribute to the production of territories as well as territorial identities? What justifies the absence of the geoparks in the poor countries? The present thesis refers to the fact that the emergence of geoparks, although defended as a new option for environmental conservation to meet the needs imposed by modern western society, has in fact as its main objective to serve the economic interests, representing an option for profit generation through the commercialization of nature via tourism. It is possible to state that this model of conservation, which is not different from the products generated by the "World of Sustainability", is the justification for the concern with the conservation of the natural elements, in particular, those related to the memory of Mother Earth. However, through this research it was possible to prove the thesis that the real purpose of the creation of these geoparks is the reproduction of capital. When taking the municipality of Nioaque as an example, it is noticeable that all this political interest does not exist because they are concerned with the conservation of the geosite, but because of the possibility that this represents as for fomenting the local economy through the mercantilization of the nature, via tourist trade.