“Tá tudo em cima de bauxita”: as nascentes da Serra dos Puri sob uma perspectiva hidrossocial

Abstract

Based on a hydrosocial perspective, springs as more than mere points of water exfiltration; they are strategic nodes responsible for the existence of hydrosystems essential to human life. Consequently, water has become a central theme in socio-environmental conflicts. Bauxite mining in the Serra dos Puri/Brigadeiro faces strong grassroots resistance, and one of its primary demands is the maintenance and environmental quality of the springs. My objective was to understand the relationship between different forms of water use and appropriation and the functional dynamics of the spring system in the Serra dos Puri, grounded in the precepts of Environmental Geography and Political Ecology. To achieve this, I conducted guided walks and participated in community events, analyzed land use and cover, monitored flow rates, measured infiltration rates, and evaluated the environmental quality parameters of these springs. I observed that springs located in areas already mined, which underwent corporate environmental recovery efforts, showed the worst results for environmental quality indices and the lowest flow values. In contrast, I found that the management and care adopted in areas of grassroots resistance resulted in better outcomes for these springs. Through the lens of the hydrosocial cycle, I identified a fracture that alters the subjects' relationships with water as mining advances. I conclude that the practices, discourses, and symbolisms established with water are among the most important environmental factors for the maintenance of these springs; when bauxite is removed, these vital elements are lost.