Parks and Protected Areas
In Brazil, Protected Areas are officially named as Conservation Units (Unidades de Conservação). The Rio de Janeiro Protected Areas System follows the Federal Protected Areas Act (Law 9,985/2001), known as “Law of SNUC”, the Conservation Units National System Act.
Protected Areas Categories
IUCN System |
Brazilian System |
Nature Reserve |
Reserva Biológica (REBIO)
Estação Ecológica (ESEC) |
Wilderness Area |
Refúgio de Vida Silvestre (RVS) |
Park |
Parque |
Natural Monument |
Monumento Natural (MN) |
Habitat/Species Management
Area |
Reserva de Fauna
Floresta Nacional (FLONA) |
Protected Landscape/ Seascape. |
Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA)
Área de Relevante Interesse Ecológico (ARIE) |
Managed Resource Protected Area. |
Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (RDS)
Reserva Extrativista (RESEX) |
The State Protected Areas System comprises of 8 Parks, 8 Nature Reserves and 13 Protected Landscape Areas. The following table shows the State Parks.
State Park |
Area (ha) |
Year of Establishment |
Desengano |
22,400 |
1970 |
Ilha Grande |
12,052 |
1971 |
Pedra Branca |
12,500 |
1974 |
Marinho do Aventureiro |
1,300 |
1990 |
Serra da Tiririca |
2,260 |
1991 |
Três Picos |
46,350 |
2002 |
Serra da Concórdia |
804 |
2002 |
Cunhambebe |
38,000 |
2007 |
TOTAL |
135,666 |
- - |
In 2008, State Parks and Reserves protected roughly 1.630 sq km, meaning 3,9% of Rio de Janeiro State’s surface. The Government goal is to add 1.220 sq km of state protected areas by 2010. Three new parks will be established in 2009: Costa do Sol (Sun Coast), Restinga de Gruçaí and Paraty. In addition, Rio de Janeiro State houses 19 Federal Protected Areas including 5 National Parks, 5 Nature Reserves, 1 Species Management Area, 7 Protected Landscape Areas and 1 Managed Resource Protected Area.
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