Os direitos constitucionais a água e ao desenvolvimento em um contexto de escassez: o caso de Currais Novos/RN

Abstract

The present work aims to analyze the constitutional rights to water and development in a shortage scenario, from a mining base - the city of Currais Novos. The city was chosen as the object of research, not randomly. Currais Novos was and still is reference in scheelite extraction, being considered in the last century, possessing one of the largest scheelite mine in Latin America. On the other side, in the early 2014, the municipality under study was popular demonstration stage called SOS Aqueduct Currais Novos due to imminent collapse of water in the city, with no contingency plans to remedy the lack of water. Therefore, the claim by building a pipeline was the most viable alternative to solve the shortage. Thus, the study unfolds from two angles: the water as indispensable for the maintenance of life and also essential to industry, in particular, the mineral production. On the other hand, it is observed that the RN State Government maintains projects that stimulate industrialization in the state. Once verified shortages and the presence of popular movements for access to water, wonders what type of proposed development for the municipality under study. Making up the analogy of the economist Amartya Sen work, water is considered to be substantive and instrumental freedom, ie right inherent to human beings and instrument to boost other rights or freedoms. In this same vein, there is talk of sustainability - sustainable freedom - as the goal to be achieved. So the work is developed in the context of opening discussions on the use of water for human consumption and as a means of propelling development (as input in the mining industry), from the perspective of sustainability. Soon, the inevitable topic of inclusion in the constitutional orbit.