Development perspectives in the semiarid region

a study on the initial impacts of the canal do sertão on the reality of rural producers in Alagoas

Abstract

The Brazilian semi-arid region has among its striking characteristics the confrontation of socioeconomic problems linked to the combination of its high population, history of government actions and physical-climatic factors that cause the scarcity of water resources, configuring a scenario of reduced development in the region. The Canal do Sertão, inserted in Alagoas in the northeast region of Brazil, is a project that aims to develop the semi-arid fraction of this state by increasing its water availability, taking the waters of the São Francisco River along 250 km, having already half of its extension completed. Therefore, the present work analyzes the development in the region where the channel is already functioning, from the perspective of a group of local producers. The survey covered 44 producers using the channel in six municipalities, with field visits being carried out between December 2016 and July 2018. The data used were: structured questionnaires, interviews and informal conversations, official databases and photographic records. The results show that the main use of canal water is for irrigation of crops, however, the presence of this alone is not sufficient to effectively transform the local reality, being still seen the predominance of small planting areas and low values income obtained by producers in general. It was also noted the lack of effective public policies aimed at expanding local production, identified as essential to maximize the use of the channel's potential as a development provider for the region.

Keywords: Canal do Sertão. Regional development. Water availability. Irrigated production. Semiarid.