Author(s): Guelba Paiva
The Caatinga is the only biome to occur exclusively in Brazil and it reveals, as almost no other, how much human life is defined by its environment. Currently, deforestation compromises up to 50% of Caatinga’s territory and the ‘Sertanejo’ people face a reality in which hunger abounds and opportunities are lacking. They figure as the poorest group of the Brazilian population, which suggests there’s much room for improvement in terms of sustainable economic development in this semi-arid environment. Facing Caatinga’s desertification process and the current appeal for clean energy, this work is based on ‘Landscape Infrastructure’ principles and intends to act within the socio-technical scope in a thoughtful, meticulous and efficient way. The project reflects upon the concepts of identity, territory and resistance and investigates the design of a versatile nature-based infrastructure capable of meeting both landscape and socio-economic demands. By capturing solar power, the proposed devices provide the rural territory of Santa Quitéria (Ceará, Brazil) with irrigation, initiating and allowing a cycle that will culminate in full ecological landscape reconstruction and potentialization, configuring proper living conditions for its population. With the potential to reestablish a productive ecological landscape, resulting in a scenario shift from seasonal to all-year-round cultivation, where the regeneration of the natural environment reestablishes a fertile territory, thus improving the lives of Caatinga inhabitants. The aim here is to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure sustainable socio-economic development, restoring the deforested areas and simultaneously preserving local culture and identity.
Volume Editors
ISBN
978-1-944214-30-2