A Educação ambiental no processo de Gestão Pública no Município de Guarapuava – Paraná (1997-2004)

Abstract

The present study has as its principal aim the analysis of the performance of the municipal government in Guarapuava city, in the period of 1997 and 2004, in relation to the introduction of the environmental education within the environment public management. In order to achieve that objective, it was carried out a bibliographic research about environmental education and epistemology, public politics and environmental management, besides a case study with primary data analysis in the Municipal Environment and Forest Development Office – SEMAFLOR, between 1997 and 2004.There was also a secondary data analysis in planning, projects, reports,publications, newspapers and environmental laws of Guarapuava city. As a complement for the study, some interviews with the public managing interlocutors, teachers and communities’ leaders were made. From the obtained data, SEMAFLOR developed a classification of the actions, projects and programs that achieved three categories: a) knowledge and consciousness-raising; b) attitudes/participation; and c) competence /capacitating. It was possible to verify that during that period there were 99 activities developed within the first category, 100 in the second and 40 in the third one. In many cases, categories a and b have missed, in a true praxis of environmental education. Used more in its non-formal way, the environmental education was present “between the lines” in the actions of the Office, contributing for the participation and touching of the population. That is, effectively, the necessary education for today´s environment situation: an environmental education that not just inform the population about the environmental problems, but that also mobilize people in order to maintain the environment quality or even make it better.