THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF TOURISM IN INSULAR ENVIRONMENTS: BRAZIL - PORTUGAL CASE STUDY

STUDENT SEMINAR IN BIODIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION

Tourism is increasingly becoming a global phenomenon with positive and negative repercussions at a social, environmental and economic level. Research that aims to understand and manage this activity in a sustainable way has been taking place, especially concerning the involvement of public and private sectors and of civil society. As part of the civil society, Environment Nongovernmental Organizations (ENGOs) are increasingly developing tourism-related activities. Concerning insular territories, this relationship has its own characteristics, with a potential and limitations yet little explored. Therefore, the aim of our research is to enlighten the role of ENGOs in the tourism sustainability, both in the Azores (Portugal) and Fernando de Noronha (Brazil) archipelagos. The surveyed population includes people in charge of the ENGOs, tourism, environment and protected areas, and research will be conducted through interviews and in loco observation, as a way of assessing how the activities of these organizations are influenced by the social, political and environmental contexts. This allows us to understand how they support the planning and development of tourism, while promoting sustainability in such destinations.

Deborah da Cunha Estima is carrying out her PhD studies in Tourism in the University of Aveiro, in collaboration with CIBIO-InBIO/University of Azores. With a MSc Degree in Tourism Management and Development, by the University of Aveiro, Deborah now holds a PhD scholarship from the Regional Science Fund of the Regional Azorean Government. She has post-graduations in Tropical Coastal Environments Management (UFPE), Entrepreneurial Tourism Management (Integrated Faculties of Recife), and Data Analises and Information Management (UAc), and has worked as a researcher in the Project “Azores Green Islands Tourism" (2010-2011), funded by the MIT-Portugal, and hosted by the University of Azores and ARENA. From 2004 to 2006, Deborah has been the director of the NGO "Instituto Recifes Costeiros", and CFO of the projects ""Coral Vivo", "Monitoramento dos Recifes de Coral do Brasil - Reef Check" and "Centro de Interpretação Ambiental Recifes Costeiros" in Brazil.

Image credits: Deborah Estima