IRREGULAR OCCUPATIONS AND SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AT THE SANHAUÁ RIVERBANKS, PB / BRAZIL

Abstract

The present work aims to study the growing urbanization along the Sanhauá river - PB and its consequent socio-environmental impacts by illegal occupation of low-income populations. We aim to understand how is presented the social reproduction in urban space and how is related to irregular occupations, which occur mainly in areas of environmental interest. Will be need, first, weave general considerations about the social and environmental impacts caused by the occupation of the riverbanks, and then we focus on the actual situation on the Sanhauá river where there are successive floods during the rainy season, between the municipalities João Pessoa and Bayeux, State of Paraiba. The number of dwellings and the population residing in these flood plains in agglomerations sub-normal, has grown to the extent that the city grows, creating a proportional relationship between the processes of urbanization and environmental degradation in river plains. Many attempts to contain the natural processes have been carried out by the population itself, like building sidewalks taller and reinforced the foundations of the houses, however, it is not possible to consider the contention ephemeral made by people, can control a geological natural process, which is the flood, arising from the increase in the flow channel during rainfall.