PERCEPÇÃO AMBIENTAL DOS USUÁRIOS DA ÁGUA DA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIO PARDO/RS: AS ESTIAGENS NO PERÍODO 2010 A 2020

Abstract

This research had as its theme the environmental perception of water users about droughts. In the last decade, two more expressive droughts caused important losses to the economy of municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul due to the lack of water resources for irrigation in agriculture and the compromise of public supply. As the drought theme is associated with water availability, the hydrographic basin was listed as a planning area in the research, as recommended by Federal Law 9433/1997, which deals with the National Water Resources Policy. The objective of this research was to investigate the environmental perception of water users in the Rio Pardo hydrographic basin about droughts in the period 2010 to 2020. The approach method used was referenced in Environmental Sociology. According to the answers obtained, it was possible to verify that there is no specific public policy for droughts, but that there are emergency actions at the state and municipal levels to mitigate the problems arising from the phenomenon. Respondents perceive the effects of drought on their professional and personal lives, but are still focused on emergency actions offered by state institutions. It was found that the trend of the most used solution to the problem is that which is being made available by the city hall or state government, such as the drilling of more artesian wells and the donation of cisterns. The existence of public water management policies, such as Federal Law 9,433/1997, was not mentioned by them as a measure for the articulation of different institutions to mitigate the effects of droughts. Measures to adapt to the climatic event were not mentioned.