Percepções sobre mudanças climáticas: estudo de caso na Reserva Extrativista Marinha Mocapajuba, zona costeira Amazônica

Abstract

Climate change refers to alterations in Earth's climate that may occur over years, decades, or millennia, resulting from both natural climate variability and human activities. These changes have negative impacts on people's lives, especially in vulnerable communities, and may lead to an increase in the number of "climate refugees" in the future. The Resex-Mar Mocapajuba, located in São Caetano de Odivelas, Pará, is an area of great importance for biodiversity, encompassing diverse ecosystems such as mangroves, restingas (sandy coastal plains), dunes, rivers, estuaries, and islands. This region is home to traditional extractive communities whose subsistence depends directly on natural resources. The study analyzed the perceptions of the traditional population benefiting from Resex-Mar Mocapajuba regarding climate change. A questionnaire was applied in 2021, with the participation of 291 individuals with direct or indirect connections to fishing. Using content analysis, the questionnaire responses were categorized into four types of extractive activities: agriculture, crab harvesting, shellfish extraction, and fishing. The most practiced extractive activity is crab harvesting (40.21%), cited as the primary income source by 44.63% of respondents, with women being the majority. About 73.88% of extractive workers believe that climate change is occurring in the region, with this perception being particularly high among fishermen (78.35%) and crab harvesters (76.07%). The respondents demonstrated a complex understanding of climate change, with a clear focus on perceived impacts such as changes in air temperature, rainfall, and seasonality. Additionally, they recognized the influence of human actions in intensifying climate change.