Carrying Capacity of Visitation in Natural Attractions: an NBV Proposal for Cachoeira dos Frades – Frades River Basin Environmental Protection Area (RJ, Brazil)

Abstract

: Protected natural areas, in addition to providing for the conservation and preservation of nature, also represent important spaces for recreation within society. The use of these areas must be carefully planned, taking into account their protection category as well as the respective management plans, when available. In the case of Cachoeira dos Frades, located within the Environmental Protection Area of the Frades River Basin (APAFRADES) in Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the high number of visitors during peak season prompted the advisory council of this protected area to call for the implementation of visitation management strategies. In this context, the present study proposes a numerical reference for visitation management capacity — the Visitation Benchmark Number (NBV) — as a guiding element to support decision-making. The NBV was calculated according to Step 3 of the Methodological Guide for Managing Visitation Impacts developed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), and the study also proposes indicators for its monitoring. The research involved documentary and bibliographic analysis, field visits, and meetings with the management team and the advisory council, in addition to the calculation of the NBV. The results indicate that the daily number of visitors to Cachoeira dos Frades during peak season exceeds the ideal capacity identified through the NBV. This situation occurs mainly due to insufficient visitor support infrastructure, both at the site and in its surroundings, combined with the lack of specific use regulations, the limited engagement of the private landowner in visitation management, and the shortage of human resources and strategies for controlling visitor flow.