Percepção ambiental na região do médio Rio Negro, AM, associada à ocorrência de eventos hidrológicos extremos

Abstract

The people living near the Amazon rivers have adaptability as the level changes of the rivers in periods of flood and drought. But, in recent years, floods and drought events are becoming increasingly extreme and are associated with climate change, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of populations in the Amazon. In recent years, the Amazon basin has been experiencing a recurring increase in floods and intense droughts, highlighting the latest events in 2005 and 2010 droughts and extreme floods in 2009 and 2012. In this study, these events are called hydrological extreme events, that are felt mainly by coastal communities, preventing agricultural activities, fisheries, extractive, navigation, access to school, health and education. Much of the riverside populations well-being depends directly cycles and processes that can be changed or seriously threatened by the effects of extreme hydrological events. In this context, a survey was conducted of data, with a sample of residents of the neighborhoods of the city of Barcelos, Amazonas, located in the middle Rio Negro, in order to identify whether the residents realize that extreme hydrological events are affecting the way as the environmental resources of the region are being used and this way to use affects your wellbeing. For this, we developed an experiment of choice, preferred method declared environmental valuation, describing certain environmental resources in the form of attributes. In this study, described attributes have been change in the river, change in the amount of fish, extraction, agricultural production and a value attribute for the financial compensation to continue living in extreme hydrological event situation. These characteristics were gathered in hypothetical scenarios of choice and presented to respondents who were asked about their choices about the scenarios. In addition, it designed a form with structured questions and semi-structured to capture socioeconomic and perception of environmental and climate information. The experiment of choice was developed with the software support Ngene® and econometric and statistical analyzes were performed on Nlogit® and SPSS software. Your search yielded 102 interviews and the experiment of choice has generated 1,836 comments. Respondents perceive change has occurred during the rainy season (98.0%) and events of rain and extreme drought are the main causes of problems in fishing (77.5%), reduction in the dry season (52.9%) and temperature increase (96.0%). The study revealed also by means of the estimated models, which individuals perceive that change is occurring in the river, but they understand that this change itself does not affect their well-being. However, the change in the river affects their well-being when, indirectly, the resource is affected by forest loss and changes in the river period of flood and drought. Ie the use of the resource is being affected by extreme hydrological events and consequently affecting their well-being. As compensation, respondents would be willing to receive the acceptable value for their choices of R$ 306.00. Is made mister, so the development of a broad set of policies and programs that promote goods, services and monetary benefits to citizens, promoting the distribution and redistribution of resources, such as income, health, education, culture, among others, promoting thus improving their quality of life population. Greater attention should be given to agricultural production activities, extraction and fishing focused on efficient management, adding economic and socially sustainable development. As well as the ncessidade to offer subsidies to people, implementing preventive actions providing support when there is occurrence of extreme hydrological events.