Inclusion and governance in the managing Council of the Costa dos Corais Environmental Protection Area

Abstract The participation of society in the decision-making arenas is essential to achieve an effective environmental management. This paper aimed to assess the effectiveness of inclusion, as a principle of good governance, in the decision-making process of the Costa dos Corais Environmental Protected Area (EPA). To achieve it, institutional documents were analysed, interviews were conducted with managers and councillors and 375 questionnaires were applied with residents of Porto de Pedras and São Miguel dos Milagres - Alagoas. We observed an unequal representativeness and influence of the sectors within the council. The environmental non-governmental organizations/research, tourism, teaching/scientific research and the federal and state executive powers strongly influenced the decision making, while the fishing sector and the residents had moderate and weak participation. Social inclusion is essential for good governance of protected areas, but other principles such as transparency and justice need to be integrated for this to happen.