SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES TO FLOODS AND INUNDATIONS: THE EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE JEQUITINHONHA RIVER BASIN

Abstract

Brazil is among the countries most affected by hydrological disasters in the world, with alarming numbers of victims and impacted individuals. In this scenario, the history of extractive economic activities implemented in Minas Gerais has caused profound changes that have made the state a disaster center in the country. Although these disasters are widely documented in the literature, scientific papers still lack approaches that cover the perspective of those impacted. Thus, semi-structured interviews were applied to analyze the socio-environmental impacts of extreme hydrological episodes on the population of the Jequitinhonha River basin, their adaptation strategies, and the demographic profile of this population. Although major economic agents are primarily responsible for alterations in the Jequitinhonha River basin, the population living on its banks suffers the greatest socio-environmental impacts and adopts different protection and adaptation strategies, such as reforms in their residences. These results proved relevant as they allowed the identification of the main effects of the episodes on individuals and activities responsible for these environmental changes, enabling the development of compensatory measures.