Geodiversidade e geoturismo das bacias hidrográficas dos rios Paiuá e Uiramutã, Roraima

Abstract

Currently, geodiversity has gained prominence due to its relevance in understanding the natural processes that sustain life on the planet, encompassing the wealth of abiotic elements related to the variety of rocks, soils, landforms and geological processes that shape the planet. Geotourism, the tourism segment of geodiversity, has become a strategic tool for the development of tourism in various areas of the world, as it demonstrates the value of geodiversity and the abiotic elements of natural heritage in the form of tourist attractions. In the municipality of Uiramutã, the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Land has elements of geodiversity with cultural value that are normally used to promote tourism in Roraima. Since the implementation of the regulations that allow indigenous communities to draw up tourist visitation plans, several communities have come up against the technical hurdles required. In this way, this study contributes to the construction of scientific knowledge that is pertinent to the development of technical tourism products that help in the preparation of visitation plans for indigenous communities, justified by the real possibility of implementing tourism in the region. The aim of the study was to analyze the geodiversity of the Paiuá and Uiramutã river basins, based on an inventory and quantification of the region's geological heritage, while also seeking to understand the perception of urban dwellers (including the Uiramutã and Makunaima indigenous communities) about their understanding of geotourism and how tourism is currently developed in the region. The methodology used consisted of building a methodological theoretical framework to implement the primary stages of geoconservation strategies (inventory and quantification), using a georeferenced database. To this end, a semi-structured questionnaire was also applied to ten interviewees selected by the snowball method, which used words to identify their environmental perception of the subject under study. The results made it possible to recognize that the relief pattern sculpted into the different lithologies of the Roraima Supergroup is related to the watercourses and plays a crucial role in the formation of geodiversity. A set of seven geosites and one geodiversity site were identified and quantified, two of which are classified as being of international importance. Residents and indigenous communities in the urban area have a good perception of the geodiversity (mountains, waterfalls and rivers) that surrounds them, with a strong symbolic value that refers to the sacred for indigenous peoples. The geological heritage identified and quantified can be used by at least twenty-two indigenous communities to build their visitation plans and ensure that the economic benefits associated with tourism remain in the indigenous communities, becoming a viable and sustainable alternative to face the challenges of one of the lowest municipal human development indices in Brazil.