An extension activity model involving socio-environmental conflicts in the eastern amazon

Abstract

The western region of Pará state is experiencing a period of accelerated economic development, based on the export of mineral and agricultural commodities, which has intensified conflicts arising from different perspectives concerning land use and appropriation. In this context, the project “Transversal Spaces: Environmental Perspectives” (TSEP) has provided the opening of spaces and fostered debates between different sectors of society regarding emerging socio-environmental issues in the region. The current work presents the model adopted for planning, implementing, and consolidating the actions of the project, taking as an example the experience related to conflict between traditional communities (quilombo and riverine) and the activity of Mineração Rio do Norte, located in the middle-to-lower Trombetas region, in the municipality of Oriximiná. The dynamics of conception and execution of the activities consisted of four distinct stages, which were considered and improved throughout the intervention processes, as follows: a) selection of relevant topics; b) planning the ideal intervention model, partnerships, and the target audience; c) execution of the interventions, with attention to methods for evaluation of the activities; and d) discussion, consolidation, and dissemination of the results obtained. This methodology provided a satisfactory approach to the topic, allowing the participation of different actors, who could give their contributions to the understanding of the problem in its various aspects, bringing possible solutions. The results evidenced the importance of evaluating the intervention activities of the project, identifying ways for continuous improvement and highlighting data that could be useful for improving understanding of the conflicts related to mining activities and their socio-environmental impacts. The model adopted for conception and execution of the interventions performed by the ETPMA project has enabled the establishment of closer ties between the university and local actors related to the environmental area, in order to understand the emerging conflicts in the region and to contribute to the proposal of solutions.