Socioenvironmental Study of the Combu APA: A Look at Basic Sanitation and the Quality of Life of Riverside Populations

Objectives: This article analyzes the socio-environmental and legal aspects of the Combu Island Environmental Protection Area (APA), located in the municipality of Belém, Pará, considering its ecological and sociocultural relevance and the impacts of the disorderly growth of tourism and the lack of basic sanitation. Theoretical Framework: The research is based on the institutional history of the Combu APA, highlighting the slow pace of its effective implementation and the challenges to consolidating participatory governance. Furthermore, it discusses the insufficiency of basic sanitation systems, inadequate solid waste management, and the effects of the intensification of economic and population activities on the island. Method: A qualitative approach, structured around bibliographic research and field observation, was adopted to understand the relationship between the socio-environmental dynamics and the legal instruments for protecting the Combu APA. Results and Discussion: The results demonstrate the fragility of local infrastructure in the face of tourism and population expansion. The lack of efficient water supply, sewage, and solid waste management systems has led to the degradation of water bodies, compromising public health and the region's environmental balance. The findings highlight the urgent need for integrated public policies, as well as the development and implementation of social technologies adapted to the island's realities, to ensure sustainable development and environmental preservation. Research Implications: The sustainability of Combu Island depends on effective coordination among the various agents involved in land management, especially given the growing anthropogenic pressure on the environmentally protected area.