Permanent Preservation Areas are not to blame
On 27 August 2025, researcher Gerson de Freitas Junior* published an opinion piece in the newspaper AgoraVale (Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba, Northern Coast and Serra da Mantiqueira, São Paulo, Brazil) entitled “As APPs não têm culpa!”.
The author criticises the justifications presented during a public hearing, which associated Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs) with problems such as waste or the use of illicit drugs, arguing that such claims divert attention from the true responsibilities of public authorities and the community, such as environmental education, improved waste collection services, and the promotion of sustainable solutions. Thus, the text emphasises that blaming APPs does not help to solve complex socio-environmental problems and recalls their fundamental role in quality of life, environmental protection, and the prevention of disasters such as floods and inundations.
We invite you to read the full article in the PDF below.
*Societies and Environmental Sustainability Research Group at the Centre for Functional Ecology – Science for People & the Planet, TERRA Associated Laboratory at the University of Coimbra and its Extension at Universidade Aberta of Portugal.