O(s) significado(s) da participação dos usuários das águas e da sociedade civil no Comitê de Integração da Bacia do Rio Paraíba do Sul - CEIVAP

Abstract

This doctoral thesis aims to qualify the meaning (s) of the participation of water users and civil society in the context of the Comitê de Integração da Bacia do Rio Paraíba do Sul-CEIVAP in both phases of implementation of charging for water use in federal rivers of this basin (2001 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2006). A pioneer in the implementation of the tools introduced by Federal Law 9433/97 (Waters Law), particularly the collection of raw water, the management experience of the Paraiba do Sul is paradigmatic because it explains the progress, difficulties and dilemmas resulting from the imposition of this new form of water regulation in the country. The Water Law is now 14 years old, so it is necessary to investigate concrete experiences in order to identify to what extent the participation of users and civil society has in fact contributed to the democratization of water management. This research supports the thesis that the water users and civil society participation is moving towards decentralization of management, but does not delve on the issue of water management democratization in relation to democratization and participatory paradigm, because it does not effectively decentralized power and not become effective the promise of building a water parliament , considering its deeper meaning tied to the interference capacity in defining the water politics in the river basin scale. The investigation was conducted by analyzing the literature on the subject, through the systematization of secondary data and in conducting semi-structured interview with members of the Comitê da Bacia do Paraíba do Sul that participated in the process of implementing and reviewing the collection of raw water. The debate on the multiple meanings of participation and the formation of a new power structure in the context of water management was based on the theoretical contribution of Peter Jacobi, Esteban Castro, Christian Caubet, Norma Valencio, among others, that in a critical way, indicate the possibilities and limitations of the water regulation current pattern in the country.