Socioenvironmental impacts of dams in the Jari Valley, Amapá, Brazil: community perceptions

Abstract

The expansion of the Brazilian electricity sector is based on the construction of new dams. However, dams generate impacts, especially on the riverine communities. Thus, this paper examined the local communities perceptions about the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of the Santo Antônio do Jari Dam, in Amapá. Data were obtained by forms with the method snowball sampling. To analyze the perception data was used the Bardin’s analysis of content. The research showed that, before the dam construction, there was a very intimate connection between the communities, the environment and the nature, what influenced the communities perceptions mainly about environmental impacts, relocation, changes in livelihood and access to natural resources