Small rural producers as actors in the conservation of the Guarani Aquifer: a critical look from Environmental Education, Political Ecology and Agroecology.

• Grant number: 23/05365-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Education - Specific topics in Education
• Principal Investigator: Marcela de Moraes Agudo
• Grantee: Andressa Galasso
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The water crisis has been progressively discussed at a global level and should also receivemore attention considering the increased frequency of extreme climate events in the context of climate change. In this sense, groundwater has been shown to be relevant to water security. The microbasins of the Capivara and Alambari rivers are located in an area of recharge of the Guarani Aquifer System, one of the main freshwater reservoirs in the country. However, what is evident is the increased presence of monocultures dependent on agrochemicals and advanced stages of erosive processes in these micro-basins, in addition to the absence of published data on local social participation in this socio-environmental issue. Thus, the present project is a qualitative research, whose research problem is to investigate and reflect the role of small rural producers in the conservation of the Guarani Aquifer, aiming to trace articulations between the conservation of this hydric good, Political Ecology, Political Agroecology and Critical Environmental Education. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with small farmers to compose the data. The data collected will be subjected to analysis and interpretation, based on Content Analysis and the theoretical framework of this study. With this we aim to contribute to the future elaboration of hydric plans of the region and to the involvement of small producers around conservation strategies of these goods and regional ecosystems more broadly.