O fenômeno da seca e a migração rural-urbana no nordeste brasileiro: Uma realidade concreta

Abstract

The article addresses the recurring drought in the Brazilian Northeast (NEB) and its direct influence on the rural-to-urban migration process, especially between 1950 and 2010. The research aims to analyze how prolonged drought periods have affected the permanence of rural populations, encouraging migration in search of better living conditions. The theoretical-conceptual approach is based on authors such as Suassuna, Silva, Gonçalves, and Golgher, who explore the effects of drought and migration dynamics in the northeastern context. Methodologically, the study is conducted through a critical literature review and analysis of secondary data extracted from the IPEA database, focusing on population censuses from the studied period. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to highlight the demographic transition from rural to urban areas. The results reveal a direct correlation between major drought events and increased permanent migration, emphasizing that drought, although a natural phenomenon, becomes a social issue when exacerbated by the lack of effective public policies for living with the semi-arid environment. It is concluded that the accelerated urbanization of the region resulted from a combination of climatic, productive, and institutional vulnerabilities, calling for a renewed approach to regional planning and the implementation of public policies tailored to the environmental and social specificities of the NEB.