Systematic Review of Spatial Planning and Marine Protected Areas: A Brazilian Perspective

Abstract

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential to human well-being and usually part of spatial planning processes for managing coastal and marine areas. In Brazil, national-level spatial planning processes are still incipient. This article offers a systematic review through a comparative meta-analysis of the literature on MPAs and spatial planning based on the following questions: (I) What topics are investigated in spatial planning in MPAs worldwide? and (II) What are the advances and trends of these topics in Brazilian MPAs? Specific goals of this study are (I) to identify studies on Brazil; and (II) to compare and contrast these with studies performed elsewhere. The PRISMA report was used to select literature, with a focus on three spatial contexts (I) outside Brazil, analyzing studies from other countries; (II) in Brazil; and (III) a case study in Brazil that focuses on a sustainable-use area in northeastern Pará. Studies outside Brazil showed three major groups of themes: (I) planning and tools; (II) stakeholders; and (III) the ecology of non-human species. For the Brazilian context, studies were grouped into five major themes: (I) small-scale fishing practices and conflicts; (II) participation in protected areas; (III) technical aspects of the planning process, (IV) zoning; and (V) mapping. The local case study investigates socio-cultural sustainability and tourism. All identified studies relate to use, but have a greater focus on conservation and, especially abroad, on species and ecosystems. There are few reviews or comparative studies that could help to draw parallels between the different spatial planning settings. We conclude that synthesis work on spatial management strategies worldwide is needed, including the elaboration of frameworks to develop measures to address the widespread lack of data and spatial planning expertise. Collaborative networks of researchers and practitioners are needed for this. The novelty in our study is that it examines MPAs and spatial planning research at three spatial contexts with innovative methodologies to represent the current state of the spatial planning discourse in coastal and marine conservation.

Combining methods to conduct a systematic review and propose a conceptual and theoretical framework in socio-environmental research

“… [12] The costs and benefits of REDD+: A review of the literature “We conducted a review of 60 unique REDD+ costs and benefits studies.” [13] Systematic Review of Spatial Planning and Marine Protected Areas: A Brazilian Perspective “This article offers a systematic review through a comparative meta-analysis of the literature on MPAs and spatial planning. Specific goals of this study are (I) to identify studies on Brazil; and (II) to compare and contrast these with studies performed elsewhere.” [14] Analyzing 70 years of research output on South African estuaries using bibliometric indicators “This study examined scientific papers published in authoritative international journals authored by researchers working on South African estuaries between 1949 and 2020″ [15] Brazilian Mangroves: Blue Carbon Hotspots of National and Global Relevance to Natural Climate Solutions “We provide a direct comparison between mangroves and Brazil's other major vegetated biomes, identifying mangroves as a major carbon hotspot that can help meet Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), in addition to their significance as global coastal carbon sinks." [16] Integrating a conceptual framework for the sustainable development goals in the mangrove ecosystem: A systematic review “The present study aimed to propose a conceptual framework for SDG in relation to the mangrove ecosystem, as a baseline scenario, based on a systematic review relating them to Ramsar Sites.” [4] …”

“… Local studies must follow searches in the language of the country combined with English: Brazil – Portuguese, Peru – Spanish. Local studies with local databases: Systematic Review of Spatial Planning and Marine Protected Areas: A Brazilian Perspective [14] . Type of document There are several types of documents in the databases; their selection is a relevant criterion to take into account.…”

“…Local studies with local databases: Systematic Review of Spatial Planning and Marine Protected Areas: A Brazilian Perspective [14] .…”

Exact Zoning Optimization Model for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP)

“…The relationship between MPAs and MSP is sometimes described based on the geographical level: Even though MSP usually refers to a higher-level process, MPAs represent it at lower levels (or smaller scales) (Strickland-Munro et al, 2016). Moreover, MPAs with multiple objectives are sometimes considered as a form of MSP (Borges et al, 2020). Indeed, various stakeholders have highlighted the importance of MSP as a tool to arrange different marine uses (Lombard et al, 2019).…”

“…Indeed, various stakeholders have highlighted the importance of MSP as a tool to arrange different marine uses (Lombard et al, 2019). Still, MSP is incipient worldwide (Abspoel et al, 2019) and studies on MSP are rarely published in peer-reviewed journals (Domínguez-Tejo et al, 2016), although the number of published studies is growing (de Souza Rêgo et al, 2016;Borges et al, 2020;Trouillet, 2020).…”