Água como fator de sustentabilidade e de desenvolvimento regional para a população de Canudos: o açude público Cocorobó

Abstract

The purpose of this study, that constitutes a thesis, is to contribute to the possible and viable sustainable development of Canudos, a county located in the semiarid region of Bahia state. Both the place in focus as its region is characterized by accentuated poverty because of the stagnation of its productive structure. However, as the presented case study — exploratory and descriptive — seeks to demonstrate its endogenous development with sustainability on a local basis, it could be an alternative even technically feasible and promising. This perspective, however, requires essentially the implementation of public-private policies, aiming at upgrading and scaling of Cocorobó public dam. The multipurpose water reservoir besides allowing its use for generation of hydroelectricity and biomass, in order to meet the demands of the region and enter the city in the national electricity system may stimulate a series of local productive arrangements, as, among others, irrigated agriculture and fish farming. Promoting cultural tourism in its historical aspect, to enhance the collection of objects and documents relating to the social tragedy that was the War of Canudos (1896-97), is one of the vectors of the proposed development, which, in its various aspects has great importance the role of universities in Bahia. To focus on the subject, which, as expected, may raise new studies were conducted bibliographical, documentary and empirical in conjunction with a theoretical framework relevant. Finally, the multipurpose function of Cocorobó can be justified and detailed in order to enable the conditions for economic growth of this city, to be reflected in the generation of income and employment. This recommendation, because it supports the hypothesis of the study, is the key factor to include the region in question in the circuit of capital of Bahia and, thus, the effective mean improving the quality of life of its population.