CONTRIBUTIONS TO MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING IN THE BRAZILIAN COASTAL REGION

Abstract

The role of the oceans has been fundamental for sustaining life on the planet. However, they are increasingly facing significant issues of the modern world: in many places, every cubic meter of the ocean bears multiple, often conflicting demands, leading to heightened competition for space and resources. In the future, this situation will become unsustainable. Therefore, it is essential to manage marine space to allocate and organize the activities taking place within it, that is, to develop Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). In this context, the work proposes zoning the main activities identified along the Brazilian coast, aiming to contribute to the country’s marine spatial planning, which, with 5.7 million square kilometers (a coastline exceeding 10,000 kilometers), still lacks planning in this sector. The methodology considered various global literature examples and the legal framework, also supported by digital technologies based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which facilitated the spatialization of data, information, and complex spatial analyses. The results suggest a mapping and analysis of the primary activities in the Brazilian Coastal Zone, a proposed zoning for the Brazilian coastal region, also presenting a set of guidelines to contribute to the study and development of the topic, aiming to continuously improve the process.