GUAPIAÇU RIVER: AN ANNOUNCED DEATH? NECROPOLITICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OF THE GUAPIAÇU DAM, CACHOEIRAS DE MACACU/RJ

• Autor(a) principal: Wentzel, Thiago
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista Geographia (Niterói. Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.uff.br/geographia/article/view/51642
• topic: Justiça Ambiental; Barragem do Guapiaçu; necropolítica; deslocamento espacial; Des-re-territorialização; Environmental Justice; Guapiaçu dam; necropolitical; spatial displacement; des-re-territorialization; Justicia ambiental; Presa de Guapiaçu; Necropolíticos; Desplazamiento espacial; Desterritorialización

This paper analyzes the resumption of the old project to build a dam on the Guapiaçu River, in the municipality of Cachoeiras de Macacu / RJ, by the Rio de Janeiro government. However, the current dam project presents (2010) differences in relation to previous projects (2005), as it had the initial construction axis changed. Although the spatial displacement of the dam axis is “discrete”, as it was only directed to a more downstream position, this action has brought to light profound socio-spatial implications, since the new axis will affect rural settlements and promote the deterritorialization of hundreds of peasant families. It is observed in the spatial displacement that consolidated the new axis “Guapiaçu Jusante” as the best option, that besides the hydrogeological aspects, the land price, and the costs inherent to the expropriation were seminal for such a decision. This action delimited a cartography where “who wins and who loses” ends in the loss of the peasants, as many do not yet own the land. This work is based on the analytical framework of environmental justice and necropolitics, which will be conceptually scrutinized early in this manuscript.