Cidades ribeirinhas da Amazônia: a relação entre produção do espaço urbano e a dinâmica fluvial na cidade de São Paulo de Olivença-AM, Brasil

Abstract

This paper discusses the riverside cities of the Amazon, and has as central theme the city-river relationship. The relationship between river dynamics and the production of urban space in cities located on the banks of rivers is fundamentally discussed. The area of study is the riverside city of São Paulo from Olivença, located in High Solimões, Amazonas, Brazil. In recent years the waterfront of this city has been affected by the erosive process of fallen lands, but in addition, the research sought to understand how the flood regime of the river influences the production of urban space in the areas of floodplain. In this sense, the dissertation intends to answer, what is the relationship between the production of urban space and river dynamics in the city of São Paulo from Olivença? The main objective of this work was to analyze and understand the process of transformation of land use and occupation as a consequence of the relationship between urban space production and river dynamics in the city of São Paulo from Olivença. The fluvial dynamics here is the erosive phenomenon, known regionally as fallen lands, and also the river regime, of flood and ebb of the river Solimões-Amazonas. The research was developed through a structural analysis in which the bibliographic survey had as conceptual approach the way of life riverside, the production of urban space, fluvial dynamics, river regime and the phenomenon of fallen lands. Through field research direct observations were made on site in the urban space of São Paulo de Olivença, that is, of the entire length of the city’s edge, of the neighborhoods that are in the risk areas of the fallen lands, of the two main areas of streams that cut through the city, the Igarapé Ajaratuba and Igarapé Inaquetê. Interviews were also conducted with the application of a questionnaire with open and closed questions to residents who lived on the edge of the city and residents who live on the banks of the igarapés. Thus, this research presents the main urban socio-spatial changes resulting from the influence of the river dynamics in the city of São Paulo from Olivença. The socio-spatial damage such as loss of streets, houses and urban equipment was identified. We also discussed the main public policy actions aimed at minimizing or solving the problems caused by the river dynamics in São Paulo de Olivença. Therefore, discussing this theme is important to understand the production of urban space in small towns along the rivers, and to understand how the river dynamics influences a new socio-spatial configuration of the Amazonian riverside towns.