Uso de tecnologias sociais de captação de água da chuva a convivência com o semiárido brasileiro

Abstract

The Semi-Arid comprises an extensive area of the Northeastern Region of Brazil that has a number of factors that limits the harmonious coexistence of the people with the local environment, as strong insolation, irregular rainfall, shallow and rocky soils, and occurrence of cyclical droughts. In addition to these unfavourable environmental factors, structural policy measures are incipient, and previously only emergency policies were executed during droughts. In this panorama, there is the implementation of social technologies, that is, those developed in interaction with communities, that can be re-applied and that have the potential of social improvement. Technologies of rain water harvesting, such as popular cisterns, water pumps, underground dams, small basins built to catch runoff, among others, are supporting tools for coexistence with the Semi-Arid conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether those social technologies of rainwater catchment meet water demands during dry periods in the municipalities of Alagoinha and Pesqueira, State of Pernambuco, Brazil. For this purpose, we investigated the benefits of these technologies to the rural communities of Sítio Barreiras and São Gabriel in Pesqueira; and in Sítio Boa União, Comunidade de Nossa Senhora do Perpétuo Socorro, Campo de Magé and Sítio Cafundó, in Alagoinha. Within a holistic view it was studied the issue of revenue generation through the use of the mentioned social technologies, public policies present in the region, and social mobilization, which have brought a diversity of gains to the communities. The research is of a qualitative nature, since it was used subjectivity and flexibility, due to the social issues that it comprises. In addition to the literature review, the author consulted documents of government agencies and non governamental organizations to provide support to the research. The author also interviewed 41 family farmers who were benefited with freely built cisterns for water storage in their rural properties in the above-mentioned communities. The questions of the interview were about rain water harvesting technologies, sanitation measures, agriculture, livestock, periods of drought, social mobilization and technical assistance. The research results will be the basis for a proposition to the rural communities of Pesqueira and Alagoinha to optmize the use of rainwater catchment for coexistence with the Semi-Arid conditions, aiming to subsidize public policies for the region. Positive aspects of the use of cisterns were observed such as reduction of the rate of human waterborne diseases due to the use of cleaner water, storage of water for agriculture and animal husbandry, social mobilization for the Semi-Arid, and the high level of satisfaction among beneficiaries. On the other hand, there are indications that problems with the adoption of cisterns are mainly due to its improper use, management and maintenance, inappropriate use of water, and lack of drought preparedness by beneficiaries, among others. Social technologies of rainwater catchment can supply water during dry periods in the Semi-Arid region, as long as a number of other actions, in addition to the use of cisterns, are taken. This can be accomplished by integration of various technologies, besides the allocation of public policies suitable to the region, the counterpart of the beneficiaries in maintenance and management of technologies, the strengthening of social mobilization, and investments focused on technical assistance.