Term definition related to water resources domain: a contribution to Brazilian agricultural sector

• Grant number: 15/06670-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2015
• End date: December 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Linguistics - Linguistic Theory and Analysis
• Principal Investigator: Gladis Maria de Barcellos Almeida
• Grantee: Maiara Barra Rosa
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The economic power of a nation depends substantially on the stability and safety of three factors: food, energy and territory. Food and energy, which have renewable bases, are directly related to agriculture and water resources availability. Most part of this natural resource is mobilized for applications in the agricultural sector, which includes agriculture, silviculture and livestock. So they can not be dissociated because the sustainability of the agricultural sector is dependent on the availability and quality of water resources. This fact makes essential the establishment of public policies to manage the efficient use of the river basins, so that quality and quantity are guaranteed, enabling the optimization of agricultural production without waste. For this optimization becomes possible, it is fundamental to adopt new techniques to deal with this complex situation as well as to have a good theoretical and technological apparatus and analysis tools. In this perspective, Embrapa initiated the project "Rede Agro-Hidro - Impacts from Agriculture and Climate Changes on Water Resources in the Brazilian Biomes", which among several other objectives aims to reflect management strategies, communication and qualification in order to develop information to help Brazilian society deal with these issues. One of the concerns of this great project is the survey of information related to the subject. A type of information that is very important and needs to be incorporated in this project is the definitions of terms (representing concepts) related to water resources domain because the final product expected is to organize the information in a conceptual framework like a hypertext web environment and reduce its ambiguity. Thus, under the cooperation agreement between Embrapa Informática Agropecuária (Campinas, SP) and GETerm (Group of Studies and Research in Terminology), it is proposed this Scientific Initiation project, with the aim of writing 80 terminological definitions. From the theorical point, the terminological definitions will be grounded on a descriptive terminology of linguistic basis. From the methodological point of view, this research will be based on a sequence of steps to be prepared in e-Termos, a web collaborative environment of terminology management. At the end of the work, it is expected that the writing of a set of 80 definitions could strengthen hydric resources information management which crucial to decision making processes concerning agri-environmental interfaces of Brazilian agriculture.