Vulnerability processes in peasant communities affected by the transposition of the São Francisco river in Sertânia

Abstract

The project for the transposition of the São Francisco River is part of the set of policies for access to water in the Brazilian semi-arid region and has focused on the processes of deterritorialization and vulnerability in the region. The objective of this study was to analyze the processes of vulnerability in peasant communities, resulting from the transposition of the São Francisco River. This is a qualitative study, applying semi-structured interviews and carrying out a workshop with peasants affected by the transposition in the municipality of Sertânia (PE). The theoretical-methodological approach was the social reproduction matrix. Several processes of material and symbolic vulnerability, in addition to health problems, were identified, such as the destruction of water reservoirs, artesian wells, waterholes and fertile land, deterritorialization, the incidence of acute respiratory diseases, resulting from excavations for the construction of canals, and processes related to mental health, relating to social reproduction and to the way of life. The systemic reading anchored in self-awareness and in the conduct of vulnerability processes identified a break in the traditional way of life and effects on physical and mental health of the region inhabitants. The negative effects of this process retroact on historical vulnerabilities in the affected territories, producing new fragilities in these communities.