Análise da sustentabilidade sócio-ambiental do assentamento 1º de setembro visando propor um modelo de emancipação - Tauá - Ceará

Abstract

This study is an attempt to analyse the sustainability of agricultural policy, accounting for social and environmental impacts in a systematic and holistic way, cosidering the settlement 1º de Setembro in Tauá. It proposes a model of emancipation for all settlers that joined the settlement up to May 1999, and verifies if the above mentioned policy did support the wellbeing of the families, including increased employment, income, health care, education, nutrition, recreation, migration, housing and social consciousness; furthermore, an index of environmental quality is calculated, relating to water quality, soil quality, salinity, habitat, productivity and vegetation cover. The study considered existing secondary data from public institutions, active in the region, and also involved direct research in the from of interviews: closed, open, participatory research, life history and oral history. It aims to collect information on the results during the first five years of the implementation of the plan, which was put through in 1994. Moreover, as a part of the methodology, analyses described and compared the data organised in tables, following the Forest Service of the United States Development of Agriculture from the Project Effectiveness Procedure Handbook, 1986. The measurement of non-quantitative variables occurring in the index of significance was obtained by transforming the subjective data into values of 1 to 4, corresponding to a significant, moderate, low or negligible level. The values all receive a weight of 1, being of equal importance for the region, both for social and environmental variables. Evidence from the study suggests that the life of the settlers improved in the following aspects: nutrition, health care, education, employmenmt, housing, recreation, migration and social consciousness. On the other hand, a moderate significance was found only, both for social and environmental aspects. The land reform is on question of equity and it is one of the critenon to sustaineble development. Then it can be concluded that although it has improved the life conditions of the settlers it is necessary others solutions for the problem of the poverty in the least developed regions, principally in rural areas. This policy should be merged in others that could be used for rural development, in irrigation programmes of associations and in the creation of agro-insdustry. A combined application of these options could even improve on the presente results, by involving more farmers and supporting the declaration of the Democratic State, soressen by the Brazilian Constitution assures wellbeing, development, equality and justice as the highest values of a sustainable society.