Morar na lagoa: aspectos do bem-estar urbano da comunidade Vila Cazumba, Fortaleza/CE

Abstract

The disorderly occupation of environmentally sensitive areas constitutes one of the most evident expressions of sociospatial inequalities in Brazilian cities. Within this context, the Vila Cazumba community, located in the city of Fortaleza, state of Ceará, presents a history of precarious settlements along the margins of the Cazumba Lagoon, characterized by vulnerable housing, insufficient urban services, and an intense process of environmental degradation. This study aimed to diagnose the socio-environmental and housing conflicts experienced by the residents of the community, using as comparative reference the indicators of the Urban Well-Being Index (IBEU) developed by the Observatório das Metrópoles. The research adopted a qualitative approach, conducting an analysis of the community’s formation process and comparing it with current data from official sources and field visits, which enabled a more comprehensive understanding of the local reality. The results revealed inefficiencies in the provision of public services—such as basic sanitation, electricity supply, and street paving—alongside severe environmental degradation of local natural resources, manifested through water and soil pollution. It was also observed that the Cazumba Lagoon undergoes successive landfilling practices employed by residents as a strategy to contain flooding and create new areas for housing, thereby intensifying social and environmental liabilities. Although the occupation represents an immediate alternative for access to housing, it reproduces conditions of sociospatial exclusion and environmental vulnerability. By relating the dimensions of housing, infrastructure, mobility, and collective urban services, the study highlights the need for integrated public policies that recognize the right to adequate housing and promote actions of land regularization, urbanization, and environmental preservation. It is concluded that understanding local dynamics and their socio-environmental impacts is essential to guide interventions capable of reducing vulnerabilities and strengthening the promotion of sociospatial justice.