Análise dos impactos socioambientais da barragem de fronteiras à luz da política nacional de direitos das populações atingidas por barragens

Abstract

The construction of the Fronteiras Dam, located in the municipality of Crateús, Ceará, impacts several local communities, including Cabaças, Poti, Barra do Rio, Palmares II, and Curral Velho, which were selected for detailed analysis in this study. The results indicate profound socio-environmental impacts, especially psychosocial ones, with feelings of fear, insecurity, and abandonment arising from material and symbolic loss of territory. The communities' historical and cultural ties intensify this suffering, constituting a traumatic rupture. The process managed by DNOCS, the responsible agency, was marked by a lack of transparency, insufficient communication, and absence of official institutional channels, hindering access to information and effective participation of the populations. Essential public services such as health, education, and transportation were interrupted, worsening the families' distress. Although the National Policy for the Rights of Populations Affected by Dams (PNAB), enacted in 2023, establishes rights, its provisions are not yet effectively applied locally and are little known by the communities. Compensation is inadequate, based on outdated valuations, and does not guarantee the free choice between reimbursement and resettlement, contrary to legal rights. Technical failures and lack of transparency in re-registration reinforce dissatisfaction. Symbolic violences, such as the arbitrary prohibition of burials in the local cemetery, reveal disrespect for cultural traditions. The absence of genuinely representative local committees and participation channels strengthens the feeling of invisibility. These issues reflect patterns found in other dam-affected areas in Brazil. To ensure comprehensive reparations of the impacts, effective application of the law, sensitive listening to communities, strengthened institutional communication, and real participation of affected populations are essential.