"Vozes da seca": lavradores, mediadores e poder público frente a estiagem no semiárido do Jequitinhonha mineiro

Abstract

The Jequitinhonha River valley, northeast of Minas Gerais, faced a critical period of drought, between 2013 and 2019, with little rain, concentrated in short periods. Despite being a region that has historically lived with irregularities in precipitation, in that period the situation was seriously aggravated by environmental degradation caused by eucalyptus monoculture and mineral exploitation. In the countryside, the effects of drought and the privatization of resources fell mainly on family farmers who mobilized organized rural communities and mediation agencies, such as unions and associations, to access public water supply programs. This article analyzes initiatives, originating mainly from state agencies, but also from civil society, to supply water to rural communities during the drought period. Using individual and group interviews carried out with the various actors involved in the subject, the “voices” of farmers and public agents were examined to understand how family farmers went through the critical period of scarcity. The results indicate that, despite the climatic dimension of the drought reaching the whole society, the scarcity affects different groups in different ways, revealing important social and political filters. Of these filters, the most relevant is the management of water by the State.