Percepção socioambiental de moradores do município de Boqueirão acerca da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Paraíba

Abstract

The Paraíba River hydrographic basin is integrated with several municipalities in the state of Paraíba, providing not only water resources, but socially impacting the entire population that lives in its surroundings. Despite their relevance, the problems associated with these ecosystems are worsened by environmental degradation due to human action, generating risks of extinction of plant and animal species native to the region. In this sense, this research aimed to investigate the socio-environmental perception of residents of the municipality of Boqueirão in the state of Paraíba in relation to the Paraíba River hydrographic basin and its influence on the daily lives of local communities, based on theorists such as Morin (2005;2010); Almeida (2017), Halbwachs (1990); Pollak (1992); Loureiro (2003); Leff (2001); Carvalho (2013) and Tristão (2014). In the methodological path, based on content analysis by Bardin (2016) and Dias (2008), the residents' experiences and their traditional knowledge associated with the Paraíba river were investigated, resulting in the construction of a didactic booklet as a product educational approach to environmental education on the Paraíba River. In this sense, this research of an ethnobiological nature began with territorial studies, using data collection instruments such as semi-structured questionnaires and oral interviews with local residents. The results revealed the environmental perceptions of residents, the cultural and environmental importance of the Paraíba River basin for local communities, highlighting the relevance of traditional knowledge for environmental conservation. From the analysis of the residents' experiences, we noticed anthropocentric and conservationist perceptions throughout the different contexts represented by the communities of Boqueirão. Furthermore, the Epitácio Pessoa Dam is closely linked to the memory and knowledge of the Tradition of all the residents, especially those who work with water, such as family farmers and artisanal fishermen.This research, by converging the environmental relationships of residents with the Paraíba River, can contribute to environmental appreciation and preservation based on traditional practices and knowledge, subsidizing environmental education actions and policies for the sustainable use of natural resources in the river's mesocourse region. Paraíba.