Legislação, licenciamento ambiental e turismo : os desafios da sustentabilidade e da ecoeficiêcia no uso dos recursos hidrotermais em Caldas Novas-GO

Abstract

Caldas Novas is a city located in the centre-west of Brazil which has the largest hydrothermal resort in the country, with mineral waters arising from the Paranoá and Araxá Aquifers. Since 1970 the city has its tourist exploitation as its main economic activity. The interest in the theme under study has resulted from the observation of environmental problems originated as a consequence of the way tourism has consolidated in the city. The exponential population growth and the disorderly increase in the urban mesh without the proper treatment of the produced waste and sewage, among others factors, such as drilling exploration wells in hydrothermal vents without proper control, have contributed to the imminent threat of degradation of the main environmental resource, which is the basis of the local economy. In order to obtain Installation Licenses - LI and Operation Licenses - LO for the tourist developments, a historical survey of the main regulatory standards for environmental licensing was carried out at both federal state and municipal levels. This study carries out a descriptive analysis of the environmental licensing processes conducted by the Municipal Secretary of the Environment and Water Resources of Caldas Novas - SEMMARH on the most relevant tourist developments in the municipality. Through qualitative analysis of the documents that instruct the respective processes for obtaining LI and LO of the aforementioned projects towards SEMMARH, the study will point out the criteria for framing the licensed activities in the typology defined by the State Environment Council - CEMAM. It will also point out the relevance of the studies of environmental impact required by the licensing agency, as well as analyzing the content of the documents submitted by the applicants and the determining reasons that led to the conclusive opinion of SEMMARH.