“Shrimp” only is fish in the leaving tide: conflicts in water management in a hydrographic basin committee

Abstract

The case illustrates the dilemma experienced by Marcelo, a government employee, member of the Advisory Committee of the Water Resources Management of the Rio Cariri Basin, who at some point decides to support shrimp in captivity (shrimp farming) in a weir in Ceara. But the solution that seemed ideal, generated strong environmental impacts for the communities that live below the reservoir, putting the Committee in a delicate situation. Elaborated from a real experience in one of the fourteen political and administrative regions of Ceara, the presented problem is at the middle of the management of water resources in the Brazilian hinterland, which permeates actions of coexistence with the Semi-Arid today. The case stimulates the debate on the need to consider multiple alternatives to the “water problem”, analyzing the management perspective - business and public - which should guide decisions based on the observance of complex variables that affect different social groups. The teaching notes comprise the pedagogical aspects of the case, as well as presenting the sources and methods of data collection for its elaboration and suggests questions and debates to be applied to the students.