O homem na construção social dos riscos a desastres no semiárido paraibano.

Abstract

This work aimed a comparative study of the environmental degradation in the risk social construction, taking in account the socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilities of the rural population of the municipalities of Picuí, Sousa and Sumé, located in the semi-arid region of the State of Paraíba. The processes of degradation/desertification of lands in the State of the Paraíba are defined by the levels such as, very low, low, low moderate, moderate, moderate serious, serious and very serious occupy respectively: 1.52%, 13.86%; 32.91%; 18.00%; 18.11%; 6.09%; 6.11% of the total area of the three municipalities, where the desertification nuclei occupy an area of 1.93%. This is a highly preoccupying situation, as from the low moderate level already considers the existence of some type of degradation of lands, verifies that 83.15% of the studied area already are affected. The adjusted multispectral composition of the TM/Landsat images, together with the application of questionnaires to the agricultural population, to diagnosis the socioeconomic and environmental conditions of the producer and his familiar nucleus, and the gender relationship that confer distinct places to the men and women in the society, were the base of the arguments of the social construction of the risks. The analysis of the risks in the three studied municipalities showed that in the base of these risks it is the lack of public polices that aim the sustainable development of the semiarid and the eradication of the poverty. The gotten results constitute an important contribution for the knowledge of the reality of the municipalities by the governors, state as in such a way municipal, and have a character as subsidy to the decision makings in the definition of more efficient administrative issues, including here the creation of an anticipated alert program, in order to improve the quality of life of the population of the semi-arid, promoting the citizenship.