Water conflicts and socioterritorial dynamics: The hydrosocial cycle after the Sao Francisco River transposition project in the northeast of Brazil

Santos, Jaqueline Guimaraes and Ioris, Antonio A. R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0156-2737 2024. Water conflicts and socioterritorial dynamics: The hydrosocial cycle after the Sao Francisco River transposition project in the northeast of Brazil. Land 13 (12) , 2032. 10.3390/land13122032

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Abstract

The implementation of large-scale water infrastructure projects, such as the São Francisco River Integration Project with the Northeastern Hydrographic Basins (PISF), causes territorial transformations of great proportions, constituting a new hydrosocial cycle, resulting in hydrosocial territories in which not only water but also power relations and socioeconomic and physical resources circulate. In this sense, this article aims to historically analyze the interconnection between water and land issues in the Brazilian Northeast, shedding light on the territorial dynamics produced by the new hydrosocial cycle constituted by the implementation of the largest water project in the country. To this end, we interviewed actors from different groups and in various locations, conducted on-site field research, and collected and systematically analyzed important documents from the institutional websites of the Brazilian government. The main results of the research indicate that since the implementation of the PISF, a context of deep and historical political and socioeconomic inequalities in hydrosocial territories has been impacted, which has deepened conflicts over land and water and increased socio-spatial injustices. Contrary to most available approaches, which consider water scarcity a ‘natural’ (hydrological) problem that requires technical and administrative solutions, the water problem reflects the profound asymmetry of power consolidated over time and the strength of the reactionary agrarian sectors that control the State apparatus.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Geography and Planning (GEOPL)
Publisher:	MDPI
ISSN:	2073-445X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 November 2024
Date of Acceptance:	25 November 2024
Last Modified:	02 Dec 2024 12:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/174336

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