Jericoacoara: Duna do Por do Sol disappears – 04/18/2023 – Environment

The Por do Sol dune, one of the main tourist attractions in Jericoacoara, Ceará, is on its way to disappearing. The process is natural, but has been accelerated by human actions, according to experts.

The sand elevation is within the boundaries of the Jericoacoara National Park, managed by ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation).

The Por do Sol dune, as the name implies, is frequented by tourists who go to the resort of Ceará in the late afternoon, to enjoy the sunset.

The mound of sand was 60 meters high in the 1970s, but is currently only six meters high, according to ICMBio.

In addition to the tourist attraction, the dunes in the Jericoacoara region have the function of recharging water for the region’s aquifers, underground places where water resources are stored to supply cities.

“The sand in the dune field receives rainwater, which is stored underground. Drinking water in the municipalities in the region comes from the aquifer”, explains Kelly Cottens, biologist and environmental analyst, head of the Jericoacoara National Park.

Jericoacoara is known by biologists and geographers, among other factors, for the displacement of dunes towards the sea. The phenomenon is greater in the second half, when the winds are stronger. During this period, the tendency is for the Por do Sol dune to lose more height.

“The wind pushes the dunes. And the Por do Sol dune was moving along with the others and ended up finding the sea. When that happens, the erosion process is faster because the wave hits and carries the sand. at the end of your journey, it’s very sad, but that’s natural”, says the ICMBio manager.

For the biologist, visiting the dunes on foot by tourists is low-impact ecotourism on the dunes, which, according to her, move from ten to 30 meters a year in the park.

The expectation is that other dunes, also in displacement, may replace the Por do Sol dune in the coming years, which is on its way to disappearing. However, the speed of this dune supply may decrease due to human actions in the ecosystem.

Professor of geography Davis de Paula, from the State University of Ceará, says that the accelerated process of the Pôr do Sol dune is associated with an increase in the flow of tourists and environmental degradation in the region. He believes that visits to the dunes on foot contribute decisively to the reduction of the sand level.

“Jericoacoara receives thousands of people a year. Its load capacity is at its maximum level. The intense search for the sunset on the famous dune has brought environmental damage, such as the trampling of the upper part of the dune. This causes an avalanche of material of the dune, which helps the sediment go faster towards the sea”, he says.

The expansion of the village of Jericoacoara and the high flow of vehicles on roads that cross the local landscape are also pointed out as causes that inhibit the adequate rhythm of sand replenishment. A greater volume of rainfall can also contribute to the reduction of the dunes.

De Paula predicts that, with the imminent removal of the Por do Sol dune, there will be damage to the local nature. “With the extinction, there are losses of natural functions such as the recharge of aquifers. The village does not have rivers in its surroundings to supply it with water, all the water comes from a water table. There is damage to the demand for underground water resources for Jericoacoara. “

For the mayor of Jijoca de Jericoacoara, the city where the village of Jericoacoara is located, the federal government needs to act effectively to reduce environmental damage. In the view of Lindbergh Martins (PSD), the federal administration has been negligent in recent years with space.

“The park needs support and an immediate solution. In addition to the Por do Sol dunes, we have a path to the beach where some turtles die, and we don’t have a specific route for those who work with worker and tourist transport”, he says.

“The financial contribution that ICMBio receives today does not allow it to respond to the height of the national park”, he adds. Nineteen ICMBio employees currently work in the park.

The city hall, however, does not envision a worrying scenario in terms of tourist attraction.

“It’s harmful in the sense of not having a natural beauty like this dune. Many tourists come, in the late afternoon, to take pictures in that space. [Porém,] around Jericoacoara, there are other natural beauties that tourists look for. We have several places that can meet this need”, says the mayor, who estimates that 50,000 to 60,000 tourists circulate in the region per month.

In addition to Jijoca, the Jericoacoara National Park includes the municipalities of Cruz and Camocim. The space has an area of ​​more than 8,000 hectares.