Entre fluxos e comportas: tensões comunicacionais e cidadania no licenciamento ambiental da UHE Estreito

Abstract

From the context of the installation of large-scale projects causing socio-environmental impacts, this thesis aimed to understand the communicational tensions within the Environmental Licensing process of the hydroelectric power plant Usina Hidrelétrica Estreito, in Maranhão, Brazil. It focused on the effectiveness of citizenship amidst the diverse interests of the State, Economy, and Civil Society systems. It is worth noting that the installation phases of the Usina Hidrelétrica Estreito(2008-2012), located in the municipality of Estreito, Maranhão, with direct impact on 12 municipalities in the states of Maranhão and Tocantins, were marked by conflicts, negotiations, and disputes. The communicational flows and access gates from the periphery to the centers of political decisions are addressed. The issue was discussed through the lens of Communicative Action, the duality of Systems/ Lifeworld, and exchanges (input/output) between the State and Economy with the Lifeworld (HABERMAS, 1981, 1984, 1997, 2003). The understanding of the subject matter was also built upon theoretical contributions from perspectives on citizenship, Public Communication, environmental governance, and the Theory of Controversies. A case study was conducted using a multiple-evidence protocol, which included: a) documentary analysis (covering the current environmental legislation in Brazil); b) analysis of the 35 programs of the Basic Environmental Plan (with emphasis on the Social Communication Program and its alignment with other programs); c) in-depth interviews with subjects from the State system, as well as Civil Society; and d) media analysis of the main tensions on the subject in Folha de S. Paulo newspaper (2008-2012). Through the set of analyses, it was possible to identify the categories through which the notions of citizenship/communication are established and how tensions manifest themselves. From the analysis of the legislation governing environmental licensing in Brazil, categories such as access to information, publicity, consultation, and environmental education were identified. Among the 35 programs outlined in the Basic Environmental Plan, 29 of them propose communication actions as part of environmental mitigation. The Social Communication Program expresses the consortium's concern with information about the power plant but does not encompass negotiations or other forms of participation. The Social Communication Program is a specific aspect within a broader communicational context, considering the interests of diverse audiences. Spaces for social participation are limited and formalized. It was observed that tensions originating from other fields (such as economic, environmental, and social) also become symbolic disputes and take the form of communicational tensions. The work also contributes theoretically to the notion of Environmental Citizenship, which is inherently communicational from the outset.