Integração do patrimônio natural ao cultural como recurso geoturístico na implantação do projeto do geoparque Quarta Colônia, RS, Brasil

Abstract

A sustainable development model, as a strategy of a territory, is in the conscious use of the natural and cultural heritage resources in an integrated way. Taking in consideration the local and regional development, as a program marked for focusing on the sustainable development and for being endogenous – the mobilization of local forces –, and considering the geo touristic segment, a geo park is suitable for this model. Strategically, from the aesthetic, scientific, didactic, social, cultural, environmental and economic standpoints, this is a proposition which respects the protection, appreciation and conscious usage of the heritage resources, which directly influences the lives of locals and visitors. In the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (Quarta Colônia), Brazil, there is some expressive environmental heritage, with biological and geological testimonies of the evolution of Earth and the human culture. It is a scientifically recognized heritage and it is fundamental to the proposal for the implementation of the Quarta Colônia Geo Park (GQC). The territory, formed by nine associated municipalities (Agudo, Dona Francisca, Faxinal do Soturno, Ivorá, Nova Palma, Pinhal Grande, Restinga Seca, São João do Polêsine and Silveira Martins), has a total area of 2,899.923 km² and an estimated population of 61,000 inhabitants. The region is composed by communities with an ethnic and cultural diversity, presenting a cultural landscape, though with little synergy between the cultural (historic and architectural) and natural (geologic/geomorphologic) heritages. This study identifies and classifies the most expressive Cultural Heritage rural material, integrating it to the Natural Heritage, based on inventories with six objective and four subjective value criteria, and 108 interviews with the community. The Geography approach relates the natural characteristics of the organized space to the geodiversity expressed in the landscape. The built spaces, integrated to the natural environment, reveal values attributed to significances which stimulate their conservation and preservation to the present and future generations. The methodological procedure broadened the existing data base with the inclusion of 300 additional units, with a total of 661 rural real estates present in the territory. Of this total, 334 were classified as Heritage Interest Place (HIP), which are able to integrate geo touristic itineraries. The municipalities with the highest HIP classification scores were Restinga Seca with 56, Siveira Martins with 55, Agudo with 54, and the other municipalities with approximate numbers to these ones. The mapping of the main natural and cultural draws allows the revitalization of the region’s identity and heritage values. Furthermore, there is the elaboration of interpretative products for the GQC (geo touristic itinerary models, geo touristic maps, postcards and a scale model).