Percepção ambiental em rios intermitentes: o caso do rio Umbuzeiro, Aiuaba, Ceará

Abstract

Intermittent streams can be found throughout Brazil, but they are commonly located in thesemi-arid climate region. The semi-arid region accounts for 10% of the national territory andincludes 70.6% of the Northeast region. Information on intermittent rivers in Brazil is stillvery scarce. Moreover, most people associate rivers with flowing water, without consideringthe hydrological characteristics of the main channel when the river is not flowing. This studyinvestigated the relationships between the environment and the communities living along thebanks of the Umbuzeiro River in Aiuaba, in the southern region of the state of Ceará, with theaim of identifying the environmental perception of the local population and authorities. Twoqualitative-quantitative questionnaires were applied: one directed at the local population andthe other at representatives of local authorities. The questionnaires included questions aboutthe population's knowledge of the river's importance, the ecosystem services it provides, theconservation of the water body, and the actions taken for the preservation of the UmbuzeiroRiver. The results showed that rural residents have a good understanding of the hydrology andnative organisms of intermittent rivers. They also recognize the factors causing environmentalproblems in intermittent rivers and reservoirs, although there is a need for more in-depthenvironmental education to address these issues. On the other hand, municipal representativesare aware of the challenges in managing temporary water courses but require more resourcesand infrastructure to implement effective preservation solutions. The study revealed that thelocal population has ancestral knowledge about intermittent rivers and the problems they facein their daily lives. Therefore, it is crucial to incorporate the perspectives of local residentsinto the development and implementation of preservation and protection policies for thesewater courses.