Paradigms and Public Policies on Drought in Northeast Brazil: A Historical Perspective

This paper describes the evolution of drought-related public policies in Northeast Brazil (NEB). Using a historical approach, we show that the evolution of public policy has not been characterized by abrupt shifts, but has instead been shaped through debates between renowned intellectuals. The resul...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental management (New York) 2015-05, Vol.55 (5), p.1052-1063
Main Author: Campos, José Nilson B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Agriculture - methods
Aquatic Pollution
Arid zones
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Brazil
Drinking water
Drought
Droughts
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecology
Economic activity
Environment
Environmental Management
Evolution
Famine
Forestry Management
Humans
Hydrology
Infrastructure
Nature Conservation
Northeast
Paradigms
Policies
Political power
Politics
Precipitation
Public Policy
Rain
Rivers
Waste Water Technology
Water Management
Water Pollution Control
Water Resources
Water resources management
Water shortages
Water Supply - methods
Water Supply - standards
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Summary:This paper describes the evolution of drought-related public policies in Northeast Brazil (NEB). Using a historical approach, we show that the evolution of public policy has not been characterized by abrupt shifts, but has instead been shaped through debates between renowned intellectuals. The resulting public policies formed a hydrological infrastructure that delivers clean water needed for robust economic activity. However, outcomes of the 2012–2013 drought show that populations that depend on rain fed agriculture are as vulnerable to drought as they were at the start of the 20th century. Although government, social, and emergency programs have aided drought victims, drought analysts agree that rain fed agriculture has remained vulnerable since drought policies were first formulated. Drought policies formulate integrated water resources management (IWRM) strategies that are geared toward supplying safe drinking water, and debates surrounding the IWRM paradigm have been affected by outcomes of major international events such as the World Water Forum.
ISSN:0364-152X
1432-1009
DOI:10.1007/s00267-015-0444-x