TERRITORIAL DATABASIS REQUIRED FOR THE ANALYSIS OF AN OFF-SITE

Resumen

The purpose of the present study was the compilation and characterization of the databasis utilized in the study “Economic Scenarios for the Off-Site Legal Forest Reserve System in the State of Goiás”. Specifically, we conducted an analysis of several social-economic indicators and land cover information, according to the hexagonal grid adopted for the above project, which comprised the entire State. Among the main results, the severe conversion of the natural landscapes in Goiás is particularly noticed. In fact, 18% and 45% of the State area have been converted to agriculture and pasture lands, respectively, while, at the municipal level, 85% of the counties are non-compliant in environmental terms (i.e. the remnant vegetation is less than the legally required) and the center and southern meso-regions show less than 20% of the original vegetation. Concerning the social indicators (HDI, GINI, Poverty Proportion, and Population Density), it is clearly demonstrated that the development in Goiás is still far from being sustainable and is mostly concentrated in the intensively converted areas, as the center and southern regions. By contrast, the northern and northeastern regions concentrate most of the poverty, low income distribution and remnant vegetation in the State. As our study demonstrates, the adoption of economic instruments, in complement to the respect to the Permanent Protection Areas (APPs), may significantly contribute to the biodiversity preservation in the Cerrado biome.