Cisternas de placas e segurança hídrica: transformações na vida das famílias rurais de Quixeramobim - CE

Abstract

The social technology of plate cisterns stands out as one of the most relevant public policies aimed at decentralizing access to drinking water in Brazil's semiarid regions. Rural communities have been severely affected by water scarcity, exacerbated by prolonged droughts and dry spells. In this context, the construction of cisterns constitutes a fundamental strategy for coexisting with the semiarid region, by guaranteeing access to quality water and strengthening community resilience against the adverse impacts of drought. The general objective of this study is to analyze the contribution of plate cisterns to addressing the problems arising from water scarcity among beneficiary families in the municipality of Quixeramobim, located in the Central Sertão region of Ceará. The specific objectives are: (i) to investigate the socioeconomic effects of the installation of plate cisterns and (ii) to verify improvements in the quality of life of the families served. The research adopts a descriptive approach, both qualitative and quantitative in nature, based on bibliographical, documentary, and field research. The quantitative analysis was based on measures of central tendency and graphical visualizations; the qualitative aspect was conducted from an interpretative perspective, aiming to understand the experiences and perceptions of the beneficiary families. To this end, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered, including open-ended questions about the social impacts of the plate cistern technology. The results show that the implementation of the cisterns brought significant improvements to the quality of life of families, especially regarding access to drinking water and the reduction of physical effort required to obtain it. However, from an economic perspective, no significant gains were observed, signaling the need for complementary actions to promote productive sustainability in the semiarid region.