Desertification in Seridó in Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba: Land issues, rural poverty and illiteracy

Abstract

A study carried out in Seridó of the Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte analyzed the desertification phenomenon based on the survey of socioeconomic, environmental and institutional indicators, organized in driving force, pressure, state, impact and response. The main goal of this research was to deepen the discussion about the driving force indicators and to investigate their relationship with the environment. The selected indicators were land concentration (rural establishments area smaller than the fiscal module and under non-property regime) and inequalities in the countryside (rural population below the poverty line and illiteracy), which represent structural or indirect desertification causes. The methodology used was a bibliographic review and data systematization on land ownership, education and income of 32 municipalities in the Seridó in Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba. Seridó of Rio Grande do Norte has the greater number of large properties and predominates settlers with no title, tenants and landless producers. In the Western and Eastern Seridó of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba, respectively, there are higher illiteracy rates. In the Seridó of Paraiba predominates smallholdings and rural population below the poverty line. In the Eastern Seridó of Paraiba sharecroppers and occupiers are predominant, while in the Weastern Seridó region the ones predominating are tenants and occupiers. The relationship between the indicators studied and the environment is variable, and therefore, dependent on local dynamics.