Amnésia da seca: desafios e estratégias para a manutençào da transparência das águas em Bonito Mato Grosso do Sul

Abstract

The Municipality of Bonito, located in the southwest region of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, has an ecotourism activity that stands out from other national destinations. In the years 2018 and 2019, the crystal clear waters of its main rivers for tourist activity become turbid by mud. These episodes of turbidity by mud, their causes, contributing factors, developments and possible actions to mitigate the problem are the core axis of this research. In conjunction with the technical analysis of the turbidity by mud, the socio-economic and environmental implications are discussed in the light of social and socio-environmental movements. These social movements took the forefront and were the voice of indignation and plea for solutions for this unwanted scenario. The research addresses the “drought amnesia” as part of the failure of socio-environmental indignation in contrast with the time required for the mitigation actions to be implemented in the area and achieve some result. The work ends by pointing out measures that can be adopted by the Government and by civil society interested in the subject, aiming to minimize the situations that potentialize the turbidity by mud of the crystal clear rivers.