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Harvesting Water for Living with Drought: Insights from the Brazilian Human Coexistence with Semi-Aridity Approach towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

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  • Diego Pereira Lindoso

    (Center for Sustainable Development (CDS), University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
    Brazilian Research Network on Global Climate Change–Rede Clima, Av. dos Astronautas, 1758-Jardim da Granja, São José dos Campos-SP 12227-010, Brazil)

  • Flávio Eiró

    (Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen, Postbus 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

  • Marcel Bursztyn

    (Center for Sustainable Development (CDS), University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
    Brazilian Research Network on Global Climate Change–Rede Clima, Av. dos Astronautas, 1758-Jardim da Granja, São José dos Campos-SP 12227-010, Brazil)

  • Saulo Rodrigues-Filho

    (Center for Sustainable Development (CDS), University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
    Brazilian Research Network on Global Climate Change–Rede Clima, Av. dos Astronautas, 1758-Jardim da Granja, São José dos Campos-SP 12227-010, Brazil)

  • Stephanie Nasuti

    (Center for Sustainable Development (CDS), University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
    Brazilian Research Network on Global Climate Change–Rede Clima, Av. dos Astronautas, 1758-Jardim da Granja, São José dos Campos-SP 12227-010, Brazil)

Abstract

The Semi-Arid region of Brazil (SAB) has been periodically affected by moderate to extreme droughts, jeopardizing livelihoods and severely impacting the life standards of millions of family farmers. In the early 1990s the Human Coexistence with Semi-Aridity (HCSA) emerged as a development approach. The debate on HCSA is limited to Brazilian literature but as a technological and a bottom-up governance experience, researches on the topic could add some insights to international debate on living with drought. The present paper adopts an historical perspective on HCSA before discussing the main HCSA’s rainwater-harvesting methods found in two case studies in the SAB as a local appropriate and advanced technological package for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Qualitative analysis of 32 semi-structured interviews with key local stakeholders, 29 unstructured interviews with family farmers, and surveys in 499 family farms are used. The results show that regardless the highly adaptive potential, the technologies are adopted in differ rates among them and in between case studies chosen, influenced by non-technological factors and interacting the broader public policies context. Scaling up the HCSA’s technologies in the rural SAB is a development path towards the SDGs.

Suggested Citation

  • Diego Pereira Lindoso & Flávio Eiró & Marcel Bursztyn & Saulo Rodrigues-Filho & Stephanie Nasuti, 2018. "Harvesting Water for Living with Drought: Insights from the Brazilian Human Coexistence with Semi-Aridity Approach towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:3:p:622-:d:133811
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Pedro-José Martínez-Córdoba & Nicola Raimo & Filippo Vitolla & Bernardino Benito, 2020. "Achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Efficiency in the Spanish Clean Water and Sanitation Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-13, April.
    4. Rahal, Lilian dos Santos & Santana, Vitor Leal, 2020. "Tecnologias sociais como impulso para o acesso à água e o desenvolvimento sustentável no meio rural brasileiro: a experiência do Programa Cisternas," Documentos de Proyectos 45596, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    5. Niemeyer, Julia & Vale, Mariana M., 2022. "Obstacles and opportunities for implementing a policy-mix for ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change in Brazil's Caatinga," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    6. Caiado Couto, Lilia & Campos, Luiza C. & da Fonseca-Zang, Warde & Zang, Joachim & Bleischwitz, Raimund, 2021. "Water, waste, energy and food nexus in Brazil: Identifying a resource interlinkage research agenda through a systematic review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).

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