Bibliographic update on informal settlements in ecologically protected areas

Abstract

Introduction: Informal settlements  are areas where communities establish themselves without complying with urban regulations, often featuring precarious housing and lacking basic services. This phenomenon, historically present in Latin America and growing worldwide, mainly affects vulnerable populations with unstable jobs and limited access to formal housing. The growth of these settlements in ecologically protected areas causes environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and increased vulnerability to natural disasters.
Objective:  Characterize informal settlements in ecologically protected areas. 
Methods: A bibliographic review was conducted using databases like PubMed and ResearchGate, employing keywords related to informal settlements and protected areas in Latin America. Eighteen articles, mostly from the last five years, were selected to extract relevant information supporting the study.
Discussion: Informal settlements arise from poverty, migration, lack of public policies, and real estate speculation, generating social and spatial exclusion. In protected areas, irregular occupation decreases ecological resilience and accelerates soil, water, and biodiversity degradation. Issues such as lack of regulation, institutional distrust, and poor planning are evident. Sustainability requires community participation, land tenure legalization, inclusive planning, and awareness campaigns.
Conclusions: Informal settlements in ecologically protected areas represent a complex socio-environmental problem. This occupation causes environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and decreased resilience of the protected ecosystems.