URBAN PESTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: RETHINKING COEXISTENCE AND ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN THE CITY

Abstract

The presence of animals considered undesirable in urban centers — commonly referred to as urban pests — is linked to complex processes of environmental degradation, socio-spatial inequality, and the absence of integrated public policies. This article proposes a critical approach to the presence and management of these species, emphasizing their connections with an urbanization model and the invisibilization of their ecological roles within urban ecosystems. Based on bibliographic and documentary review, the study discusses how environmental education can help deconstruct stigmas, promote preventive attitudes, and articulate community action with public policies related to health, sanitation, and biodiversity conservation. The text highlights the importance of understanding so-called urban pests as symptoms of structural imbalances rather than isolated threats. The article also emphasizes the role of community leadership and the contributions of different forms of education — formal, non-formal, and informal — in building fairer, healthier, and more ecologically aware cities.