Abstract
ABSTRACT: The extraction of sea salt depends on the occupation of large areas at the estuary banks, many of them inserted in Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs). Thus, the objective was to evaluate the economic viability of Environmental Offsets (EO) as an alternative to the unoccupied PPAs in the saltworks. In order to do so, 27 solar saltworks installed in the region of the Brazilian White Coast were evaluated for the occupation of PPAs - measured using images from satellite, georeferenced, vectored with corresponding PPA bands generated - and estimated to EO (Impact Degree x Sum of the investments necessary to implement the project) and Economic Impact (Net Present Value, with long-term interest rate of 7%) of vacating PPAs. It was considered that EO was feasible whenever the costs resulting from it were lower than the economic impact caused by the vacancy of the PPAs. The PPAs were tthe productive area of the saltworksthat occupied 13.70% of PPAs. For all the evaluated enterprises the value corresponding to EO was lower than the Economic Impact resulting from the vacancy of the PPAs. Thus, EO is an economically viable and more attractive alternative to the eviction of PPAs by the saltworks industry and may also provide environmental gains due to the financing of conservation units in the areas of influence of the enterprises. However, there is a need to improve the methodology used to estimate the EO, since a maximum limit is set, the environmental impacts caused by the projects are underestimated.
Highlights
The extraction of sea salt is an activity developed over 500 years in the north coast of Brazil (TRINDADE & ALBUQUERQUE, 2005; VITA et al, 2007; COSTA et al, 2013; DINIZ et al, 2015), which makes it an important productive sector, responsible for the generation of more than 70 thousand direct and indirect jobs (SIESAL, 2016)
The dubious aspect of the legislation, which regulates the protection of mangroves, sometimes allows the installation of public activities in these ecosystems, which results in a scenario of conflict and legal uncertainty, since depending on the interpretation, both those who advocate the eviction and preservation of the Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs), as well as those who defend the permanence of the occupation and the development of the saltworks activity are supported by the current legislation
It was considered that Environmental Offsets (EO) was feasible whenever the costs resulting from it were lower than the economic impact caused by the vacancy of the PPAs
Summary
The extraction of sea salt is an activity developed over 500 years in the north coast of Brazil (TRINDADE & ALBUQUERQUE, 2005; VITA et al, 2007; COSTA et al, 2013; DINIZ et al, 2015), which makes it an important productive sector, responsible for the generation of more than 70 thousand direct and indirect jobs (SIESAL, 2016). V.50, n.5, ROCHA et al, 2012), resulting in the degradation of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and Apicuns (BARBOSA, 2001; GT-SAL, 2017). These ecosystems are recognized for their high biological productivity, for performing ecosystem services of great economic importance and important areas for the maintenance of marine and freshwater aquatic diversity (LEE et al, 2014; NAGELKERKEN et al, 2014; SCHAEFFER-NOVELLI et al, 2012). The dubious aspect of the legislation, which regulates the protection of mangroves, sometimes allows the installation of public activities in these ecosystems, which results in a scenario of conflict and legal uncertainty, since depending on the interpretation, both those who advocate the eviction and preservation of the PPAs, as well as those who defend the permanence of the occupation and the development of the saltworks activity are supported by the current legislation
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