Abstract:
The lack of access to basic sanitation services in Brazil is alarming and is related to the development model and the concentration of poverty. Public investments in sanitation in Brazil have prioritized urban areas, while rural areas remain outside of government interventions. On the other hand, the National Rural Sanitation Program (PNSR) is advancing in the discussion and consolidation of a rural concept that guides sanitation planning in Brazil and highlights the social function of technology in the planning and project development process, also referring to solutions that are appropriate for the Brazilian rural population. In this sense, this paper aims to discuss the theoretical and practical challenges of access to sanitation from the perspective of agroecological transition in an agrarian reform settlement, using the Action Research methodology. The implementation of a household unit with an evapotranspiration tank was initiated, a household unit with a banana circle was implemented as an alternative for the destination of domestic sewage, and theoretical/practical workshops were held addressing the functioning and importance of agroforestry systems, with a view to maintaining water bodies and soil life, in an Agrarian Reform settlement located between the municipalities of Maraú and Itacaré, Bahia, Brazil. The banana circle proved to be promising and easy to replicate; however, the evapotranspiration tank had a limitation due to its high cost of implementation. Analyses of the water from the springs used for consumption highlighted the need for monitoring and the adoption of simple treatment processes, such as filtration and chlorination. At this point, the presence of the Public Authorities is a requirement. On the other hand, despite the efforts to create the settlement and its legalization, public policies and programs in the field of rural sanitation remain neglected. Contradictions arise in the settlement when the supply of drinking water is not guaranteed, and when the preservation of the recharge area of the springs is affected by government infrastructure projects in transportation, energy and tourism. Water insecurity arises as the paving of the BR-030 highway, which borders the settlement, could affect the springs and compromise the community's water supply systems. Thus, this work contributes to the relationship between sanitation and health promotion, rural sanitation and agroecological transition and, most importantly, exposes the inequities in access to sanitation and the social erasure of these communities.
