Impactos Socioambientais no Estuário do Rio Jaguaribe: o Caso da Cidade de Aracati-Ce.

Abstract

The Jaguaribe River was fundamental to the development of the city of Aracati. However, during recent decades a degradation of the fluvial and marine ecosystems caused by several environmental impacts has been perceived. Analyzing the social and environmental impacts at the estuary of the Jaguaribe River, highlighting the process of urban expansion from 1980 to 2008, related to the tourism, industry and the shrimp farming agribusiness developments and suggesting measures that reduce the environmental impacts are the main objectives of this work. The Geo-systemic Theory contributed as the method used to analyze the connexion among the urbanization process, the means of use and occupancy of the geo-environmental units and the social and environmental impacts at the estuary of the Jaguaribe River. The semi-structured interview guide and the phenomenology focus were used as the qualitative procedure applied to understand and interpret the society’s perspective towards the importance as well as the environmental degradation of the Jaguaribe River. Through the fieldwork was possible to observe the society’s lifestyle and interview political agents and local community leaders. It was found that the accelerated urbanization of the city during recent decades was responsible for the following social and environmental impacts: irregular occupation of the banks, soil contamination due to the release of sewage originated in septic cesspool, which represent 80% of the final disposal of the city’s domestic effluents, and the ineffective treatment of the solid waste at the landfill located in the Pedregal neighborhood. The shrimp farming agribusiness developed in the estuary of the Jaguaribe River promoted the deforestation of the mangroves, the release of sewage containing chemical substances used in the shrimp farms into the river; settlement of new enterprises without permits from environmental agencies, promoting the sedimentation, the reduction of 60% of the marine and estuarine species, the endangerment of the wildlife caused by the deforestation of the mangrove, promoting economic losses for fishermen. The conclusion we got is that some conservation and restoration initiatives in the degraded areas are necessaries, including: strict inspection by the state officials and municipal, state and federal environmental agencies, the enforcement of the environmental legislation which prohibits the occupation of the areas of permanent protection, the greater participation of traditional communities in decisions about the settlement of economic enterprises, the implementation of environmental education projects in partnership with the civil aracatiense society, so that it acts as agent for inspection and conservation of the natural heritage of the city.