Territorialities and livelihoods on the Fringe of development: an investigation on riverine peoples of "terra do meio" and the impacts of Belo Monte dam in the State of Pará, Brazilian Amazon

• Grant number: 17/21296-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 19, 2018
• Effective date (End): August 06, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Emilio Federico Moran
• Grantee: Maíra Borges Fainguelernt
• Supervisor: Fabio de Castro
• Host Institution: Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas Ambientais (NEPAM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA), Netherlands
• Associated to the scholarship: 15/08842-6 - Socio-spatial changes in the Brazilian Amazon: a case study on territories of the of riverside communities affected by the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant on the Xingu River, BP.DR

Abstract

The Brazilian Amazon has a rich cultural and ecological diversity evident in three extractive reserves (Resex) in the Para state which are located in a priority area for conservation, known as "Terra do Meio". These Resex were not considered as 'affected' by the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Natural Resources (IBAMA) during the environmental licensing process of Belo Monte dam, but recent research suggests otherwise. I aim to highlight the impacts the Belo Monte dam has had on the riverine people who reside in these reserves. In doing so, my research will show how these extractive reserves have sought to deal with these social and environmental impacts brought by the dam. The case study's intention is to find local solutions to reduce the cultural, social, economic and ecological impacts mega-dams have in the Amazon region. Since such dams are controversial in nature, findings from the study will aid in overcoming gaps in knowledge about these social groups which have been largely overlooked. The analysis presents the collective identity assumed by people in different territories, deserving context specific policies which can maintain each group's autonomy and sustain their territorialities and livelihoods. (AU)