Problemas socioambientais no entorno do Açude Jeremias e do Rio Taperoá no município de Desterro – PB

Abstract

The management of water resources is a topic of constant debate in all spheres, whether on a global scale or to a lesser extent, such as in districts and municipalities. In the latter, the actions of its residents have a direct impact on its natural resources, so it is relevant to understand the perception of this population and its relationship with such resources, to favor planning and environmental management. In the state of Paraíba, several cities are crossed by rivers that, as a rule, have their waters polluted. In the hinterland of Paraíba, in the city of Desterro, this reality of water degradation is present in the Taperoá River and also in the Jeremias Dam, which, because there are houses around it, presents levels of environmental deterioration. Considering the potential damages caused by the pollution of these springs, we sought to investigate what are and how the socio-environmental problems are manifested in the surroundings of the Jeremias Dam, as well as in the urban stretch of the Taperoá River and what is the perception of the inhabitants of their surroundings regarding these problems. For this, exploratory visits and on-site registration were carried out in the surroundings of these bodies of water, in which it was possible to identify a significant number of cases of degradation and pollution; also, based on a perceptive interview with the residents of these areas, it was found that they have the view that the springs are degenerated, but they do not see any prospect of improvement for them and, in many cases, they end up contributing with its degradation. Another glaring issue is the fact that many of the residents, in a state of apparent apathy, exempt themselves from the responsibility of preserving and recovering the river and the weir, placing this task on the public authorities.