Diagnosis of the impacts of drought on the São Gonçalo Irrigated Perimeter

The population suffers from serious problems caused by water scarcity, which makes agricultural production unviable and, consequently, survival in decent conditions, leading to hunger and poverty. The objective was to identify the effects of water scarcity on the economy of the irrigated perimeter of São Gonçalo in the municipality of Sousa, Paraíba, from 2012 to 2016. The study was conducted through questionnaires with the prior consent of the interviewed population residing in the three housing centres and in the district of São Gonçalo. Visits were also made to the National Department of Works Against Drought and the Executive Agency for Water Management of the State of Paraíba to collect data on the economy of the perimeter, information on production and volumes of the São Gonçalo reservoir. There were losses in banana and, mainly, coconut production; unemployment increased; soon, rural exodus and violence rose, with a high rate of assaults. Water vulnerability triggers other vulnerabilities: economic, social and environmental, conditioning the development of populations in the semi-arid region.

Autorentext
PhD candidate in Agricultural Engineering. Master's degree in Agroindustrial Systems - Management and Environmental Technology in Agroindustrial Systems - UFCG Campus de Pombal. Technologist in Agroecology from IFPB Campus Sousa.