Ocupações irregulares em áreas de proteção ambiental: impactos socioambientais nos campos alagados de São Bento - Maranhão

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze the socio-environmental impacts resulting from irregular settlements in the flooded fields of the municipality of São Bento, Maranhão, located within the Baixada Maranhense Environmental Protection Area, a site recognized under the Ramsar Convention, seeking to understand how human presence and the disorderly use of land have compromised environmental integrity and local quality of life; methodologically, a qualitative approach with descriptive and exploratory characteristics was adopted, supported by a literature review, field visits, photographic records, and the administration of questionnaires to residents of the wetland areas, with data collection conducted in the neighborhoods of Alegre, Outra Banda, and Porto Grande, followed by georeferencing of the sampled points; the results indicated that a portion of respondents reported low income, limited schooling, and a lack of land tenure documentation, factors that reflect socioeconomic vulnerability and contribute to the expansion of settlements in environmentally sensitive areas, as well as the identification of significant environmental impacts, including waste accumulation, water pollution, biodiversity loss, and the proliferation of disease vectors, all exacerbated by insufficient sanitation services and urban infrastructure; it is concluded that the irregular occupation of the flooded fields of São Bento is a complex phenomenon that intertwines environmental degradation, social exclusion, and the absence of urban planning, and that addressing this issue requires integrated public policies that reconcile responsible land regularization, strengthened participatory management, and the conservation of local ecosystems, ensuring a form of sustainable development compatible with the socio-environmental realities of the Baixada Maranhense