Jocicléa de Sousa Mendes

Wind-energy Development Causes Social Impacts in Coastal Ceará state, Brazil: The Case of the Xavier Community

ABSTRACT Gorayeb, A.; Mendes, J.S.; Meireles, A.J.A.; Silva, E.V.; Brannstrom, C., and Freitas, A.L.R. 2016. Wind-energy development causes social impacts in coastal Ceará state, Brazil: The case of the Xavier community. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 383–387. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. A significant increase in wind-power generation has occurred since 2008 in coastal regions of northeastern Brazil. Many wind farms have been erected on territories claimed by traditional communities, which have suffered changes in how they obtain resources as a consequence. Here we study the Xavier community, a settlement of 20 families and 66 people, located in the Camocim municipality of Ceará state. Xavier residents subsist on extractive activities such artisanal (non-mechanized) fishing, shellfish collection, and crop cultivation. But in 2009 one of Cearás largest wind farms was established approximately 200 meters from the settlement. Although some may see these projects as low impact, wind farms in Ceará are being implemented in areas that are environmentally unstable, located within territories claimed by traditional communities, negatively affecting their livelihoods. This paper analyzes the social impacts caused by the establishment of the wind farm through participant observation, group workshops, and analysis of textual materials. Several problems are described, including the absence of basic infrastructure and employment; road blockages; privatization of common resources; noise from turbines; constant fear of accidents involving turbines; internal conflicts among Xavier residents caused after the implementation of the wind farm; and burial of lakes. Wind-farm construction negatively influenced this traditional community by threatening territory, cultural traditions, and food security.

OS GRANDES EMPREENDIMENTOS E AS COMUNIDADES TRADICIONAIS: O CASO DA COMUNIDADE DE MUNDAÚ - TRAIRÍ, CEARÁ.

The seacoast of Brazil’s northeast has been occupied by a large number of enterprises, all of which are justified as being sources of jobs and improvement on the quality of life of the local communities. In Ceara, some of these enterprises were located in traditional communities and they have influenced the lifestyle of the population. The purpose of this study was to work out an analysis of the implementation of enterprises and its impacts in these communities and, mainly, in an APA. As to the metodologic aspects of the research, it was used direct observations, which were made through fieldwork (from 2010 to 2013), in addition to the documental analysis of the legislation in force. The result of the investigation found that the APA of the estuary of Mundau’s river, which is situated on the east seaside of Ceara, doesn’t have guarantees of an adequate preservation and of a management that can assure the maintenance of the quality of the enviroment and of the community lifestyle, even being an protected area and supported by the legislation. There have been significant changes on the traditional activites of the population. Through the privatization of common areas (dune fields, mangrove areas, stretches of beach) the local communities are prevented from using areas which used to form part of their routine. Fishing and shellfish collection areas, which were before communal areas, today are used for shrimp farming. The dune fields, areas destined for leisure and the agricultural plantation seasonal (deflation zones), are occupied by a big wind farm and, lastly, a stretch of beach is being gradually occupied by hotelier ventures. These ventures, which are responsible for many environmental problems, have totally changed the natural dynamic. Amongst the social impacts, it can be quoted: the expulsion of fishermen from their original work areas; the privatization of public places and of leisure areas; the illusion of fixed employments; the rise of prostitution and the use of drugs in the community. The conclusion is that the communities are being excluded from their original area and many times they are colluding with the fact due to the power of persuasion that the entrepreneurs have.

Videography for participatory cartography in a site of wind-power conflict in coastal Ceará state, Brazil

Installed wind power capacity in Brazil expanded rapidly from 28.6 megawatts (MW) in 2005 to 10.6 gigawatts (GW) installed electrical capacity in 2016—roughly a 37,000 percent increase in just over a decade. Highly favorable wind climatology (Silva et al. 2016), emergency electricity rationing, and state incentives motivated wind farm construction in coastal areas of Ceará (1.6 GW) and Rio Grande do Norte (3.2 GW). Reports describe Brazilian wind power as a win-win situation (Juárez et al. 2014: 833). However, recent work describes social conflict and environmental impacts from wind farms located in coastal environments. Impacts include leveling dunes, burying interdune lakes, impeded access through the wind farm, heavy truck traffic, and unfulfilled promises of employment generation (Brown 2011; Meireles et al. 2013; Gorayeb et al. 2016; Brannstrom et al. 2017).

Application of Geo-ecological and Thematic Mapping to the Analysis of Estuarine Environments in Northeastern Brazil

Over the past few decades, the occupation and exploitation of the natural resources found in Brazilian estuaries have increasingly impacted the ecological integrity of these systems, altering their internal dynamics and the daily life of local communities. In this context, this chapter focuses on a conservation unit located on the western coast of the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceara, centered on the estuary of the Mundau River. The research included the diagnosis of the water quality of the study area, based on the analysis of pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and transparency, and the identification and mapping of the geo-ecological units of the study area. Data were collected in the field using digital multianalyzers every 3 months between April 2011 and December 2011, during the spring tide (low and high tide), and the maps were produced in ArcGIS 9.3. The results indicate that the water quality of the study area complied with Brazilian sanitary norms with only localized abnormalities, which do not appear to reflect any major disequilibrium of the estuarine system at the present time.