Monitoramento comunitário da qualidade da água: uma ferramenta para a gestão participativa dos recursos hídricos no semi-árido

Abstract

In Brazil, the engagement of the civil society in water management actions has been promoted through the implantation of Waterbasin Committees and environmental education campaigns. However, the effective public participation has been inhibited by their lower environmental literacy, leading to greater problems of water scarcity and quality. This work aims to reflect about participatory management and water quality monitoring in the country, evaluating the benefits of adopting the Global Water Watch (GWW) model of community-based water quality monitoring in Brazil semi-arid region. Challenges and opportunities related to the adoption of this model are analyzed, presenting the experience of organizing water monitoring groups in the Santa Bárbara rural settlement, Jaguaretama, Ceará. The results obtained with the adoption of the model reinforce the importance of “learning by doing” in changing attitudes and in the formation of a political consciousness, essential attributes to the active participation of society in the waterbasin management.