Agroecological and Social Transformations for Coexistence with Semi-Aridity in Brazil

Abstract

This article explores whether a shift in development paradigm resulted in coexistence with semi-aridity for residents of the Semi-Arid region of Brazil (SAB). If so, which strategies contributed and which conditions facilitated it? We conducted a comparative analysis of the transformations that occurred in 10 territories of the SAB during two time periods: PI (1973-2001) when "development" policies almost exclusively aimed to "combat drought and its effects"; and PII (2002-2016) when a concept of coexistence with semi-aridity informed policy making. Our study from the 10 territories of the SAB show significant changes between PI and PII. On average, there was a substantial improvement in Access to Water Infrastructure (+33%∆), Diversification of Production Systems (Animals +36%∆; Crops +61%∆), Management of Common Pool Resources (+45%∆), Involvement in Spaces of Political Organizing (+24%∆), and Access to Public Programs (+29%∆). As such, "coexistence" went from concept to action as a consequence of structural, agroecological, social, and management transformations in combination with a strengthening of mechanisms for community reciprocity. These were characterized by (a) the creation of resource reserves for use during times of drought; (b) the efficient use of available natural resources; and (c) enhanced articulation between diverse actors.

The Traditional Technological Approach and Social Technologies in the Brazilian Semiarid Region

“…Most disseminated water infrastructure works between 2002 and 2016 were DC, PC, and WH. There were similar outcomes for the indicators of agroecosystem diversification in comparison to the indicators of water infrastructure [65].…”

“…Two programs developed within the scope of civil society became public policies: the "One Million Cisterns" and the "One Land, Two Waters" programs. As pointed out by Pérez-Marin et al [65], access to water infrastructure with the use of diverse technologies from 2002 to 2016 has improved, mainly related to Domestic Cisterns (DC, +58%∆) and Production Cisterns (PC, +95%∆).…”

Harvesting Water for Living with Drought: Insights from the Brazilian Human Coexistence with Semi-Aridity Approach towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

“…In the early 1980s, the SAB's civil society started a reaction against the conventional governance model to cope with droughts [5]. Along with the end of Brazilian military dictatorship , a period of re-democratization followed, in which new social and political actors appeared.…”

“…Since then, it has been mainstreamed in regional governance, converging towards a sustainable development (SD) agenda. Its core technological paradigm is to "stock in abundance to cope with scarcity of resources and environmental variability" [1,5].…”

“…However, HCSA is more than a technological package. It is also a perspective on family farming's SD in the SAB, characterized by a decentralized and participatory governance model [5] and by a contextualized education (CE), which reflects and problematizes the Semi-Arid's environment, valuing the experimentation, the traditional culture and practices in the learning process [13]. As such, HCSA is simultaneously a technological paradigm, a SD discourse and a political and governance experiment in large scale, as it has been institutionalized through public policies in the SAB.…”