The Conflicts and contradictions in the governance of the Formoso River Basin – Tocantins - Brazil

Abstract

Water scarcity has been discussed and studied in the last decades from different points of view, from issues related to the effects of global climate change, to factors of governance and political management of water resources, consumption and capitalist exploitation of water, to ways and technologies to rationalize their use. This article sought to understand the conflicts of interest and the contradictions of actions in the scope of governance of water use in the Rio Formoso Hydrographic Basin, specifically in the performance of its Committee. The economic relevance of the basin became preponderant over socio-environmental issues, in view of the massive irrigation project implemented from the 1980s onwards, despite its impacts on the water imbalance of the basin. Through a systematic analysis of environmental legislation, institutional documents, the minutes of meetings of the Rio Formoso Basin Committee and legal proceedings by the Public Ministry of Tocantins, we sought to identify distortions or inconsistencies in the Committee's performance, as well as imbalances in democratic participation of the social actors involved, considering that Brazilian legislation and its regulatory agencies must promote the democratization of water use with social justice and environmental balance. It was found that the discussions within the Committee are poorly qualified, participation is unequal and there is a preponderance of agribusiness interests in decision-making, resulting in the lack of solutions for management in the face of recurring water crises and the need for supervisory interference from the Public ministry.