URBAN INEQUALITY AND PUBLIC SECURITY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE STORMWATER CHANNEL COMMONLY KNOWN AS "GROTA CRIMINOSA"

Abstract

The Grota Criminosa Hydrographic Microbasin in Marabá, Pará, is a canal that crosses several neighborhoods in the city of Marabá, located in the urban center of Nova Marabá. For decades, it has presented a set of socio-environmental problems that negatively impact the lives of residents. Over time, this canal, popularly known as the "crime ravine," has concentrated instances of insecurity, registered high crime rates, and reflected precarious conditions resulting from insufficient economic and social policies. Historically, families residing near the canal have built their homes through occupation processes in areas initially neglected by the public authorities. Since the first informal settlements, there has been a lack of structured actions on the part of the Marabá city hall, which fails to carry out essential studies such as environmental impact assessments, social diagnoses, and public safety analyses. It's worth remembering that, over the last few decades, the canal has shown recurring episodes that make up its historical landmark: floods that affect homes, crimes that compromise local security, destruction of dwellings caused by the force of the water during the stream's overflow, in addition to the unbearable odor and lack of public lighting that compromise the quality of life of the population. These events perpetuate a cycle of vulnerabilities that still directly interferes with the daily lives of the communities that live there. Photographic records and satellite images were available.