Turismo em lagoas costeiras e valoração ambiental em Osório, Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

Destinations located in coastal regions, such as lake environments, are considered the most popular in the world today. Brazil stands out for its extensive coast and for having attractions for those who enjoy the sun and the beaches. In Rio Grande do Sul, a southernmost state in Brazil, there is a coastal region found to be unique in the world. It consists of a privileged region that has a coastal plain with 37,000 km² as well as approximately 100 freshwater lakes along its coast. The area of study covers the city of Osório, located on the north coast of the state, formed by a lake complex. In addition, these lakes are embedded in a mosaic of terrestrial ecosystems with a high diversity that harbor endangered species. Thus, taking into account the importance of these environments and the anthropic pressures that threaten them, the present study intended to characterize the industry of tourism in the lakes of Osório by checking the residents’ Willingness to Pay (WTP) for their preservation using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). Results show that besides its ecological value, this web of lakes has a historical-cultural heritage not yet explored by tourism. Among the people interviewed, over 70% are willing to pay for the preservation of the coastal lakes. By means of the residents’ WTP, a total annual value of R$ 931,491.86 was estimated so that the lakes can be preserved. This research may contribute to help one think of lakes as plural environments, providing the community and the public administration of Osório with the parameters to create a future financial fund aimed at preserving these ecosystems.