Oiticica dam: the impasse and reaffirmation of the response to drought in the Potiguar semi-arid region.

Abstract

For decades, the coping mechanism used to deal with drought in the northeastern semi-arid region was marked by the so-called “drought response”, which acquired specific characteristics in this territory. The construction of dams in the region is where the so-called drought industry has traditionally gained ground; Since it benefits from public funding and captures state action. The article aims to chronologically present the construction process of the Oiticica dam in the municipality of Jucurutu, Rio Grande do Norte, which has been at an impasse since the 1950s. In that decade, the Federal government decided to proceed with the work, but the allocated funds ended up being spent on work fronts to tackle the drought that had been severely affecting the semi-arid region at the time.  At the end of this period, the option was for the construction of the Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves or “Oiticica Dois” dam, a location that had been neglected in the initial studies. In the early 1990s, the construction of the Oiticica dam was reconsidered. However, it was stopped by irregularities in the bidding process. The work made progress in 2007, reinforced in 2013 by the signing of the term of commitment for financial transfer from the federal Government to the state and definition of the calendar. The research provides important elements for public policies, given the need for transparency, participation and social control in an accelerated context of climate change and the demand for rigor with public accounts. To achieve this, we resorted to documentary sources, including media reports, Annual Budget Laws and literature review.