Avaliação do Gerenciamento de resíduos sólidos através do Sistema de Indicadores de Sustentabilidade Pressão-Estado-Impacto-Resposta(PEIR) no município de Uiraúna, estado da Paraíba, nordeste do Brasil.

Abstract

The environmental impacts caused by society have reached astounding levels in the last few years. This scenario is also moved by the bad management of municipal solid waste (MSW), which when accumulated at inadequate places, creates great threats to human health and the environment. Thus, it is necessary to manage it in a proper manner, so its managementcan happen in a participative way, adopting sustainable actions aiming the preservation of natural resources and the human well­being. Therefore, the objective of this research is to evaluate the socio­environmental sustainability of the municipal solid waste through the System of Sustainable Development Indicators Driving force­Pressure­State­Impact­Response (DPSIR) in the town of Uiraúna­PB; so, we used the DPSIR model developed by the Organisation for Economic Co­operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), social actors who have direct experiences with the problematic of the solid waste in the mentioned town were interviewed. Regarding the methodology, this is an applied research. As to the objectives, it is a descriptive research and its approach is both qualitative and quantitative. Referring to its procedures it is a case study. The analyzed sample sums 70 social actors in total. The applied method of data collection was a semi­structured questionnaire. During the research, it was possible to get to know the local reality of some social actors such as recyclable material collectors, locals, and cleaning workers. Throughout the research, it was recognized a total negligence with the environment. The discard, according to the reports, is done improperly in open­ air, and the town does not count on a clear environmental policy about this matter. The local population appears to be distant from the environmental issue, mainly in regards to the discard of solid waste. Out of the 31 evaluated environmental indicators, a total of 19 was grouped in the category of unfavorable, contributing to the aggravation of the environmental indicators of the town. On the other hand, the town counts on innovative actions to face this so­urgent problem. For example, the recycling association which receives logistic support and technical training from the town council, creating jobs and income for the poorest population of Uiraúna. Moreover, it was noticed a political will to face the waste problem such as the construction work of the sanitary landfill.