Desertification scenario in Brazilian territory and actions to combat the problem in the State of Ceará, Brazilian Northeast

Abstract

Desertification is an environmental problem with social and economic repercussions. This problem is the subject of discussions in the scientific, academic and institutional levels, both in the conceptual understanding and in the understanding of its causes and consequences, with a view to mitigating actions. In this sense, this work aims to highlight the scenario of desertification in Brazilian territory and to provide an overview of actions to combat this problem that have been carried out in the State of Ceará, Brazilian Northeast. Therefore, the research, as to the objective, is exploratory-descriptive, and has procedures of bibliographic and documentary investigation. The study of desertification in Brazil has been carried out, by several sectors, so it is clear that there is a lack of incentives for research that better deepen the knowledge of the phenomenon in vulnerable areas, as well as the implementation of strategies that manage to curb this process. With regard to the context of Ceará, the actions of confrontation perpetrated have managed, even if in a punctual way, to revert cases of environmental degradation. These actions include the political/institutional dimensions, with the involvement of the State having techniques and training of the population to face the problem; environmental, mitigating the processes of natural deterioration from physical interventions in the environment; and cultural, guiding the population on the need for conservation and living with the peculiarities of the semiarid region. Thus, strategies to mitigate the effects of desertification have achieved positive implications, which makes it essential to replicate them in other parts of the state of Ceará affected by this phenomenon.