A privatização da água no contexto da modernização agrícola na sub-bacia do Riachão

Abstract

This article has as objective to argue how historically the process of agricultural modernization influenced in the way of relating itself with the environment and consequently in the way of management of the natural resources such as water in the high course of the basin of Riachão, North of Minas Gerais.The basin is located in an area of meadow and, as example of the several rivers that start in this region, is privileged with a great hydric wealth. However, the new agricultural practices used by entrepreneurs, who have arrived in the region since the decade of 1960, and the imposition of a new model of agriculture to the places are compromising the hydric and cultural wealth of the place.To reach the considered objective, we delimited a study area, the high course of the basin in the municipal limit of Montes Claros, more specifically the Community of Pau D’ Óleo, Tiririca and Lagoa do Barro, for being this area of the basin where it concentrates representatives of the diverse typologies of agriculturists and therefore the great majority of the environment impacts faced by them are represented. We used a methodology based on documentary and bibliographical research, works of field and interviews with familiar and commercial agriculturists, beyond photographic registers of the area. The partial results show an urgent necessity of formularization of public politics that take care of the agriculturists in what it refers to the regulation of the conflicts for the possession of the natural resources. For this reason, it makes necessary a change in the way as these politics are formulated, based on the technical studies that disrespect the historical and social aspects of the place.