Saneamento básico e seu reflexo nas condições socioambientais da zona rural do Baixo Munim-MA

Abstract

Sanitation contributes to maintaining the balance of nature and human survival itself, through the services: water supply; disposal of sewage; storage, collection, transportation and disposal of waste; provision of drainage and disposal of wastewater. A large portion of the world population is not served by sewerage services, and in Brazil 38.4 % of its households are not connected to a sewage disposal system and 13 million Brazilians still do not have bathrooms in their homes. In Maranhão reality is even more disturbing because only 19.9% of its households have adequate sanitation, staying well below the northeast region which reaches 35.6% average. The sanitation services are positive externalities of public responsibility and its supply is a major constraint faced by managers because it is a sector that needs to be seen in a multidisciplinary way considering aspects of the economy, environment, health and education. Moreover, it should be provided to growing population expansion, especially in poor areas and the consequent increase in the use of natural resources and waste to be treated. In this study, we aimed to analyze the sanitation services and their influences on environmental conditions of communities located in rural Region Planning Low Munim - MA. The methodology used was the analysis of quantitative and qualitative nature of reports of representative bodies, involving field visits, photographic records with application of semistructured interviews and questionnaires, trying to analyze and compare the numerical values found. Were performed comparative GDP and provisions for sanitation services among regions of the country, pointing out differences between rural and urban areas , but also between the seats of communities object of study cities , characterizing the health status of the searched area . Results from the investigation indicate that the study area represents an insignificant share in the composition of the GDP of the state, with low social development indicators, such as income, health and education, and with insufficient progress in sanitation services. The most worrying figures are in attendance for the sewer system, which practically does not exist in the region, being based on the use of rudimentary tanks, influencing negatively, directly and indirectly, the local landscape, affecting water resources, local health and quality of life. The region is rich in natural beauty, however is quite lacking in public investment, requiring emergency planning in the health area.