MULTIPLE USES OF WATER IN A COMMUNITY DAM IN THE SEMI-ARID REGION OF CEARÁ: A SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE JOAQUIM MOREIRA DAM, SÃO GONÇALO DO AMARANTE

Abstract

This This article sought to analyze the multiple uses and socio-environmental relevance of the Joaquim Moreira Dam for the rural community of Salgado dos Moreiras, in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante, Ceará, located in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. The study was conducted between April and December 2025, through systematic technical visits, direct observation, photographic records, field diaries, and documentary analysis of secondary data from official institutions and municipal legislation. The data were analyzed descriptively and interpretively, focusing on water uses and the socio-environmental dynamics associated with the reservoir. The results show that, despite the absence of systematized technical data and institutional monitoring, the reservoir plays a central role in local water security, presenting a consolidated pattern of multiple uses, including human supply, animal watering, artisanal fishing, irrigation, and leisure. It is concluded that the reservoir constitutes a strategic socio-ecological infrastructure, whose sustainability depends on the implementation of integrated strategies for planning, management, and shared management of water resources.