Diagnóstico da percepção socioambiental em áreas de risco à inundação e alagamento em Santo Antônio de Leverger-MT

Abstract

Environmental Education can be considered an educational proposal aimed at people awareness about social and environmental problems and a very important tool to the sustainable management of a town. In this sense, the object area of this study was Santo Antônio de Leverger (MT) town, with a big part of its urban perimeter inserted in the Pantanal Biome and subject to the seasonal inundation and flood processes that influence the life of the communities. Considering the socio-environmental problems related to these processes and experienced by the communities installed in an inundation and flooding risk area, the objective of this work was to carry out non-formal Environmental Education activities with these residents. Through a participatory methodological approach, the environmental diagnosis of the areas was carried out, as well as the environmental perception of its residents known for the realization of participatory workshops. The diagnosis showed that all the visited residences were in high an inundation and flooding risk areas and had some type of adaptation. Even so, a small part of the residents need to leave their homes temporarily when the water invades them. There were problems with the solid waste collect, the final disposal of these and with the inadequate discharge of sewage, considering that there is no collect network and effluents treatment in the city. Regarding environmental perception, respondents demonstrated to understand the processes of inundation and flooding, although most define them as synonyms. Some residents do not feel adapt to the inundation/ flooding processes and would agree to move elsewhere, by the way, several of them already incurred losses due to the above mentioned processes. The numerical participation of the residents in the participatory workshops was not very expressive, however, the quality of participation exceeded expectations. Although the groups showed a strong tendency to place the socioenvironmental problems’ solutions responsibility on City Hall’s back, this vision was overcome during the workshops as they saw themselves as a key player in the exposed situations scenario and suggested some actions that could start from them. Considering the proposal of a critical and emancipatory educational process, strategies will be developed to ensure that the process is continuous and permanent.