A percepção da desertificação e da mudança na paisagem no município de Parelhas/RN

Abstract

The interrelation society/nature causes changes to the environment. These changes occur through the work of man, which uses natural resources, to support his development. For that reason, the society has the ability to build and rebuild the places where lives, leaving registered on the landscape the changes occurred. The landscape is modified over the years, and the man is critical to this process because, in addition to being the author of the alterations can describe them through the perception from a same place, either from the past or from the present. The general objective of this research was to understand the perception of the residents of the city of Parelhas/RN in relation to desertification and to the change in the landscape. The survey was conducted in the urban area and in three rural communities-Juazeiro, Cachoeira and Cobra. Twenty-six forms were applied with the entrepreneurs, managers and/or responsible for ceramics and 176 with part of the urban population (102) and in rural communities Juazeiro, Cachoeira and Cobra (74). Statistical methods used for data analysis were Person Chi-square (χ²), the Fisher test and correlation analysis. To describe the social data of the respondents, contingency tables and data frames were prepared. The results showed that the ceramic industry exists in the city since the mid-1980. The products manufactured by the industries are roofing tiles, bricks, tiles, bushings, blocks and shackles, being tile the most produced artifact. The main energy source used for ceramics is the firewood, and 73% still make exclusively use of wood. The withdrawal of vegetation without any technique leaves bare areas and exposed soils to erosion, contributing to increase the susceptibility to the phenomenon of desertification in the municipality. The comparative analysis of the perception of the residents of the rural and urban area on desertification, showed that most respondents have heard on the subject; however, the people living in the city (79,41%) have heard more than those who live in the rural area (52,70%). Among the alternatives on the causes of desertification in the municipality, the ceramic industry was the most indicated activity. It is believed that this choice is related to the high consumption of the local natural resources (wood, clay and water) that this activity demands in manufacturing their products. The results of the perception of change in the landscape of the inhabitants of the rural communities Juazeiro, Cachoeira and Cobra, showed that most of them noticed changes in the local landscape. Likewise, changes in vegetation, soil and grassland have been reported. Those aged 25 to 59 years were the ones who most noticed changes in the landscape. The ones who studied until elementary school were the ones that least realized the modifications in landscape, while those with complete/incomplete secondary education and complete/incomplete higher education were the ones that most noticed changes in the landscape. These results can serve as a subsidy to the definition of public policies to be implemented in semi-arid of Rio Grande do Norte State, from the perspective of conservation of natural resources, in an area susceptible to the phenomenon of desertification. Suggestions of actions are presented.