As águas na paisagem costeira: inter-relações e conflitos na Bacia do Riacho-ES

Abstract

The presence of water plays a significant role in the collective imagination, connecting to social practices and community symbols. In the context of the Brazilian coastal zone, one of the richest and most diverse regions in the country, socio-environmental conflicts of various magnitudes arise. This is due to the landscape, strategic, and economic possibilities of the region, where water plays a fundamental role in local dynamics. Hegemonic groups often exert control over natural resources and conflict with traditional communities that historically inhabit these areas. It is in this sense that the Riacho River watershed in Aracruz, on the north coast of Espírito Santo, a territorial focus used in this research, fits. The general objective of this study aimed to analyze the transformation processes of the Riacho-ES basin's landscape and how this process has impacted people's relationships with water, especially in the coastal community of Barra do Riacho, in Aracruz-ES. Thus, the methodology used includes bibliographic studies related to water themes, coastal territory, and globalization; historical research through iconographies, descriptions by travelers, and ancient cartographies; analysis of thematic maps; collection and analysis of documents and legislations; pre-structured interviews with highly representative residents of Barra do Riacho, as well as field visits to survey urban patterns and public accessibility to water. The analyses highlight that the processes of water resource privatization, aiming to meet production needs, highlight social and environmental shortcomings present in the locality. As the economic logic advances in the coastal areas of Espírito Santo, particularly in Aracruz's coastline, a new cycle of economic growth emerges. This cycle is based on expanding existing logistic structures and creating new inland frontiers to accommodate various productive activities. Coastal watersheds suffer intense impacts caused by human action, especially due to increased investments in extractive sectors. This could result in increased water demand in the region, intensification of water resource contamination, and a reduction in people's connection with water bodies. Therefore, an integrated management of water resources and the coastal zone of Espírito Santo, combined with Municipal Master Plans, could be a strategy to consider environmentally and socially vulnerable areas that often go unnoticed. This approach should be firmly anchored in the principles of sustainable development, aiming for biodiversity preservation and the well-being of vulnerable populations, without being limited solely to economic perspectives.