Abstract
There are different technological approaches to deal with the social-ecological adversities found in the Brazilian Semiarid region (BSA). They vary according to the interpretation of what the roots of these adversities and the causes of the resulting vulnerability are. This paper analyses two technological approaches to the BSA, the first provided by the government through public policies and the other driven by civil society. It focuses on the initiatives promoted by each approach during the 20th and 21st centuries, and discusses how they have enhanced or reduced the sustainability of the Brazilian Semiarid region. This assessment is based on document analysis, fieldwork and open/semi-structured interviews. The traditional technological approach did not reduce the social-ecological vulnerability of the BSA system or increase resilience of family farmers and of the deciduous forest, the most vulnerable parties. It has boosted development from a classical development perspective, promoting macro-infrastructure and growth, but also contributed to keep the same pattern of dependence of farmers. Social technologies have been promoting the BSA sustainability and can have a long-lasting impact if extensively applied. While the traditional approach mostly benefits large landowners, social technologies benefit family farmers, the deciduous forest and the entire social-ecological system.
Highlights
The type of technologies applied in the Brazilian semiarid area is one of the variables that defines the degree of exposure to shocks and the vulnerability of the Semiarid social-ecological system (Figure 1)
This paper presents the Sustainability 2018, 10, 25 collaborative work undertaken in the Brazilian Semiarid region (BSA) and discusses some responses developed to socioeconomic, governance and environmental issues of the BSA
This research is grounded on the concepts of sustainability [45,46], endogenous [47,48] and local development [48], sustainable development [49,50,51] and resilience [21,52,53], and it is based on published material, primary documents and fieldwork
Summary
The type of technologies applied in the Brazilian semiarid area is one of the variables that defines the degree of exposure to shocks and the vulnerability of the Semiarid social-ecological system (Figure 1). The BSA is characterized predominantly by the Caatinga biome, in which nature is dominated mostly by deciduous forests When not degraded, this biome offers protection to climatic variation, plagues, wind and rain erosion, and provides natural resources for human use, as long as consumption patterns are sustainable. The BSA is known as the Sertão, a word used in the past to indicate unexplored and low population regions in the countryside, as a synonym of hinterland or backland. Within time, it became closely associated with the Northeast Brazilian Semiarid region, encompassing political, ecological, social and cultural dimensions, such as artistic work, cultural manifestations and people’s way of life. “Sertão” and “Semiarid”, which outpaced the original climatic reference, are interchangeably used in Brazil to express the dynamics of life found in the region
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