José Carlos Ferreira – Brazil
José Carlos Ferreira is a man divided. He lives in Portugal, although a part of his heart is still on the Brazilian coast. This is why he frequently returns there, not only to finish his PhD in environmental engineering in the field of sustainable tourism, but also to nourish his traveller’s soul.
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A smile is a faithful companion to words, despite the seriousness of the issues that motivate his research. The chance meeting occurred after hearing a Portuguese accent at an ecological resort in the middle of the Amazon forest, with José Carlos curious about the environmental impact of the hotel on the surrounding nature. “None”, was the confident response from the manager. It was the start of an interesting conversation with someone who chooses to take ecological holidays.
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“It all began at a congress in Florianópolis, in 2004”, he explains. “The beauty of the country, the friendliness of the people and the excellence of the research done by Brazilian universities” were the reasons why José Carlos Ferreira decided develop the project for his PhD here. That and “other research projects on the subject of urban impact on coastal zones” meant he’s been racking up quite a few miles in his frequent flyer accounts with TAP and TAM.
The Amazon was a dream from way back. “I’d always wanted to visit the big jungle”, he says, with a glint in his eye. “Taking into consideration the sensitivity and fragile nature of the eco-systems of the Amazon and aware of the negative impact a tourist can cause, I sought a hotel that ensured the least harmful impact possible.” And it was at Lisbon’s Tourist Fair that he met the person in charge of marketing an ecological jungle hotel, who presented him with “a proposal to discover the lungs of the planet under the right conditions”.
José Carlos has long been connected to the sea and environmental issues. And, it was actually one of the reasons that led him to do a degree in Physical Geography and Regional Planning, as well as a Master’s Physical Geography and Environment. Now he’s on the verge of finishing his PhD in Environmental Engineering. “Obviously, this academic interest is linked to a long-standing interest I’ve had in environmental issues”, he explains.
“Tourism in Brazil is growing rapidly and we can say that it’s still in its infancy. The pressure for developing resorts, especially in the coastal areas, lead to lots of mistakes being made that have a very negative impact on the local ecosystems. Aware of these problems, politicians and business people have made an effort to create ecologically responsible and socially just projects. We increasingly see tourism projects with facilities that respect the local ecology and that include the integration of local people.”
According to the researcher, it was great to find that “the development of this type of project in the jungle is controlled by spatial planning and tourist management from a perspective of sustainability”. This occurs because the relevant governmental bodies demand that “the laws of the environment and principles of sustainability be obeyed” (IPAAM – Instituto de Protecção Ambiental do Estado do Amazonas and SEMMA – Secretaria Municipal do Meio Ambiente). “So, I was able to enjoy the Amazon jungle reducing my ecological footprint as a tourist.”
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By Paulo Portugal
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