Desigualdades de acesso ao abastecimento de água e ao esgotamento sanitário no Brasil: uma análise dos desafios e perspectivas no território insular marítimo brasileiro

Abstract

About 1,200 islands are located within Brazil's coastal zone and maritime space, covering an area of 65 thousand square kilometers – 0.8% of the national territory and home to about 3.8 million people, representing 2% of the Brazilian population. These maritime island territories include urban and rural spaces within the boundaries of 4 macro-regions, 15 states, and 150 Brazilian municipalities. Islands are territories with distinct environmental, social, and economic characteristics compared to the mainland. Specific aspects of islands such as geographic isolation, relative scarcity of resources, and coastal location, reinforce or influence many natural and human processes within insular territories. This study focuses on water and sanitation, emphasizing that access to water and sanitation are Human Rights and essential for maintaining the quality of life and population health. The main objective of this research was to analyze the geographic inequalities in access to water and sanitation for the population residing on Brazilian maritime islands. Monitoring subnational geographic inequalities can highlight scenarios of exclusion from access to water and sanitation services. It is essential to prioritize efforts to ensure equitable universal access to these Human Rights. A Geographic Information System – GIS was used to structure a digital database with geographic and demographic information about Brazilian maritime islands, based on national data sources. The Health Equity Assessment Toolkit Plus software – HEAT Plus from the World Health Organization was used to quantify subnational geographic inequalities in access to water and sanitation among residents of Brazilian maritime islands. A water security analysis was conducted on those municipalities in island maritime territories, focusing on water supply systems, sanitation systems, and the local-level management of these services. For cities on the mainland that have inhabited maritime islands within their jurisdiction, a qualitative documentary analysis was conducted on their Municipal Sanitation Plans regarding maritime insular territories. The study aimed to provide a comprehensive view of the challenges and perspectives for sanitation in communities residing on maritime islands in Brazil. The results indicate that the inhabitants of Brazilian maritime islands face serious challenges in achieving universal access to water and sanitation. Significant inequalities were found among residents of maritime islands in different states, particularly in rural areas and within the northern and northeastern regions of the country. The water security analysis also highlights the challenges in these territories that have not been fully considered in the Municipal Basic Sanitation Plans, the main instrument of public sanitation policy. These results can be a reference basis for tracking progress and guiding decisions towards meeting global and national commitments to universal access to water and sanitation, with a focus on the Brazilian maritime island territory.