A implantação de empreendimentos hidrelétricos: impactos e repercussões socioambientais. O caso da UHE Barra do Braúna (MG)

Abstract

The work deals with environmental impacts of the implementation of hydropower projects, with case study the hydroelectric power plant of Barra do Braúna, located in the cities of Leopoldina, Cataguases, Laranjal and Recreio, in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais. Although the area of influence of the project covering the 04 (four) cities mentioned, the emphasis of the study will be given to the cities of Laranjal and Palma, more exactly the fishing community – framed as such vulnerable -which tends to suffer the brunt of the environmental impacts, which brings up the discussion about Conflict and Environmental Justice. This theme is included in discussions about the implementation of major projects, relying on the concepts of Network and Territory, which help us understand the dynamics of implementation of certain projects, such as those in hydroelectric, which carry the ideals of modernity and progress, but that the site can be carriers of contradictions and disorder. More specifically, the use of the concept of technical Network alludes to an environment that assumes cash flows of all kinds-of goods to informationcoupled to fixed, places of connections that constitute the us as Dias (2010). The concept of Territory used is that intended as a symbolic appropriation and as a product of power relations, which include several actors, such as State, enterprises and individuals, which by building a network form a territory. Through thematic cartogram, produced in Geographic Information System Environment-SIG, the Zona da Mata is presented as a productive territory, consisting of hydroelectric plants arranged in a network technique, but that bear a strange logic to that existing in the deployment sites and that may trigger environmental disputes-use and control the territorial natural resource. As evidence of this type of conflict is presented the case of the population of fishermen affected by development in the screen, which still suffers from the impact of the installation and operation of the enterprise, which changed his everyday life and your work niche in order to worsen his condition of life and, for this reason, it is the biggest load of target environmental impacts, which have not yet been minimized due to the remediation measures already adopted. To deal with this issue we used qualitative research, to make use of a bibliographical revision, consultation documents and semi structured interviews with fishermen, whose speech and perspective regarding the environmental conflict can be expanded and clarified, guiding the conclusions of this research. Such findings point to the influence of the logic of the capitalist mode of production in the context presented, which through a technical network creates a productive territory, permeated by unequal power relations, which tends to cause degradation, changing lifestyles and therefore, conflict and environmental injustice.