Nature in the preservation of São Paulo’s cultural heritage: the contribution of Aziz Nacib Ab’Saber

ABSTRACT One of the most significant examples of advances in public policy for cultural heritage in the 1980s was the widespread acceptance of the notion that nature should be part of its scope. Caves, mountains, hills, rivers, forests, islands, urban parks and other natural assets were added to the list of heritage sites of the State of São Paulo. This experience, which began 50 years ago, continues to be marked by some major difficulties in understanding the object itself and its relationship with cultural values. In that sense, this paper aims to present and debate the key elements of this institutional practice, highlighting the role and contributions of geographer Aziz Nacib Ab’Saber towards solidifying the work of the cultural preservation agency of the State of São Paulo. At first, the path to this discussion involves an understanding of the origins and legal frameworks for protecting of this object, with a special spotlight on the legacy of the 1980s, the strengthening and expansion of the protection of nature as cultural heritage, starting with the development of conceptual principles. At the end, it aims to describe the current scenario and the problematics of the topic in light of current public policy.