O Karaí chegou: estudo de caso dos efeitos socioambientais resultantes da ineficácia das ações/programas de mitigação da UHE Belo Monte na Terra Indígena Cachoeira Seca

Abstract

The construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) was presented as a solution to the energy crises of 2001, aiming to boost national economic growth. This study examines the socio-environmental damages caused by the HPP in the Kujubim Village, located in the Cachoeira Seca Indigenous Land, in the Iriri River, within the Xingu Basin. Although the HPP was inaugurated in 2016, its adverse socio-environmental impacts on the Médio Xingu region have been largely overlooked in favor of economic gains since the inception of its studies to the present day.Among the main damages is the significant reduction in the Xingu River’s flow due to the damming and diversion at Volta Grande, which has generated territorial pressures harmful to indigenous communities. The so-called "Consensus Hydrogram," whose term "consensus" exists only in its name, was introduced as a compensatory measure to artificially replicate the seasonal pulse of floods and droughts in the river. However, as with other mitigation plans, this measure was not discussed with indigenous populations, highlighting failures in the process of prior consultation and respect for self-determination (Pezzuti et al., 2018). Moreover, the implementation of mitigation plans, such as the Basic Environmental Plan for the Indigenous Component (PBA-CI), was carried out without the proper participation of indigenous peoples, exacerbating issues such as increasing territorial pressure on Indigenous Lands, including Cachoeira Seca, Trincheira Bacajá, and Apyterewa. This study focuses on the ineffectiveness of the Indigenous Territorial Management Program (PGTI), a component of the PBA-CI, and how its poor implementation has contributed to worsening socio-environmental damages in Kujubim Village, inhabited by the Xipaia and Kuruaya peoples (Xipai and Kiriwai). The research seeks to answer the following question: how does the implementation of the PBA-CI and the strategy of demobilizing indigenous peoples through ineffective compensatory measures impact the territorial and socio environmental rights of the Kujubim Village? To address this question, the study adopts a case study methodology based on Robert Yin’s guidelines, using a qualitative approach. The research includes a bibliographic review, analysis of legal and technical documents, dialogues with indigenous peoples from the Médio Xingu, and participant observation. The objective is to deepen the understanding of the complex interactions between economic development, environmental preservation, and indigenous rights, highlighting the challenges associated with the ineffectiveness of mitigation programs.