Análise sócio-econômica da política de açudagem no Nordeste: um estudo de caso

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to identify and to analyze economic and social benefits from the policy of reservoirs construction in Northeast Brazil. The following methods were used in order to achieve the objectives: economic result indicators and human development indices, according to the model applied by the United Nations (UN) in which the Social and Economic Development Index (SEDI) and the Level of Living Index (LLI) were calculated. The results showed that the reservoir presented a good performance, in terms of agricultural profitability, as well as greater and better SEDI's and LLI's, when compared with a region without reservoirs. That is, the policy of reservoirs construction promoted significant social and economic transformations in its area of influence. Nevertheless, the indices are relatively low when compared with international figures. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate government policies with the objective of improving the level of living of the population who live in the riverside and of increasing crops productivity.