Perspectivas de efetivação da cobrança pelo uso da água no Brasil com base na investigação da percepção e aceitação social na porção mineira da Bacia do Rio Paraíba do Sul

Abstract

The instrument of water charging system in Brazil has been the subject of critical and controversy amongst representatives of various sectors of the society. They do not understand it as an instrument of management and planning, but as a collection of taxes or charges. Furthermore, the environment and social benefits are not clearly perceived and great part of the population does not know the meaning and the objectives of the charging. The picture of lack of information and rejection justifies studies that investigate how the sectors that use the water understand and accept the charging system. These studies can raise reflections about accomplishment of the charging in the basin, the social impacts of its application and the necessity of change of the instrument to the local social and economic needs. The objective of this work is to analyze the perception and social acceptance of the application of the water charging system in part of the basin of the Paraíba do Sul River located in Minas Gerais - sub-basins of the Paraibuna and Pomba Rivers. The study aims to raise reflections about the perspective of accomplishment this instrument in Brazil. This part of the basin was selected based on preliminary inquiries that had indicated that the population of Minas Gerais that use the water offers the biggest resistance to the charging system compared to the population of Rio de Janeiro and SãoPaulo. Besides this region was less studied than São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and could present significant differences. The two selected sub-basins are of great economical and social significance and important interviewees for the research are located there. This analysis is based in the inquiry of the understanding and disposal to pay of assorted users sectors in the area. These sectors are represented in the CEIVAP -Committee for Integration of the Hidrográfica Basin of the river Paraíba of the South, established in 1996 and headquartered in the city of Resende - RIO DE JANEIRO. The work aims to be a qualitative study and was based on interviews that were applied to members of CEIVAP of various sectors as well companies that pay for the use of water in the studied region. The results had demonstrated the importance of the shared management of water resources and, as a consequence, of the Comitês de Bacia Hidrográfia CBH, although the difficulties that need to be surpassed. Moreover, it was evidenced the acceptance and understanding of the charging system for the most of interviewees and some sectors have started to take measures for reducing the waterconsumption and the launching of effluents, as specified in the legislation. The results can contribute for possible modifications of the charging system by CEIVAP and other CBHs interested in adopting this instrument, as well as contributing for the evolution of the process of establishment of the National Politics of Water Resources in the country.