Estado e organizações sociais no abastecimento de água para a agricultura familiar do Jequitinhonha mineiro

Abstract

In recent decades, the intensification of the use of soil, water and other natural resources, in a context of climate change, has altered water cycles, accentuated droughts and created situations of water scarcity that mainly affect the rural population in Jequitinhonha Valley. In many rural communities, water supply, which was resolved at the family and community levels, began to be mediated by public bodies and civil society organizations, many natural water sources dried up and were replaced by socially constructed sources mediated by public programs. This article is structured around the “problem” of water supply for rural areas in the Jequitinhonha Valley. The data and information presented here originate from field research carried out during the year 2023, in 6 municipalities, 2 in Alto Jequitinhonha with a predominance of Cerrado biome, 2 in the Middle with a predominance of Caatinga and 2 in the Lower with a predominance of Forest. Atlântica, together with civil society organizations and public bodies that deal directly or indirectly with rural water supply. This article addresses the actions, initiatives and public water supply programs for family farmers created by these institutions. In this way, it aims to identify state and civil society organizations that work on water issues in the Jequitinhonha Valley of Minas Gerais, analyze them and seek to understand the relationships they establish with their target audience, essentially composed of farming families. The research demonstrated that different institutions mobilize a set of public actions and programs, which shape water supply in rural communities, in which water sources and supply techniques appear deeply linked to the actions of mediating institutions.