Compreensão ambiental no Poder Legislativo Municipal: um estudo com vereadores de Nazária - Piauí

Abstract

The environmental challenges faced by municipalities, such as pollution, degradation of green areas, sanitation problems, and the impacts of climate change, demand effective governmental actions and active participation from society. In this context, understanding the perception of local political agents is fundamental to evaluating the effectiveness of environmental management. This study analyzed the environmental perception of the councilors of the Municipal Chamber of Nazária-PI, investigating their knowledge, priorities, practices, and level of engagement with environmental public policies. The research is characterized as exploratory and descriptive, with a qualitative-quantitative approach, carried out through a semi-structured questionnaire applied in person to the nine councilors of the municipality. The results show that the majority evaluate the local environmental situation as fair, highlighting water quality as the main concern. Although the councilors consider themselves comfortable discussing the topic, a weakness in technical knowledge and a lack of awareness of already approved environmental laws are observed. Budgetary and structural limitations appear as the main barriers to progress in environmental management. Low social participation and limited communication between the Chamber, the Executive branch, and the population were also identified. Despite this, the interviewees demonstrate interest in proposing laws to incentivize preservation and recognize the importance of institutional partnerships to strengthen environmental actions. It is concluded that there is potential for improving local environmental management through legislative capacity building, strengthening public policies, and greater integration between government and the community.