CNRD Brief, Policy Paper No. 2

”Perception and social partici-pation in the integrated water resources management ” Coordinator and SupervisorProf. Dr. Edson Wendland(1)

Responsible ResearcherTatiana Massaro (2)

1. Professor at the Department of Hydraulics and Sanitary Engieneering, Eng. School, University of São Paulo - USP. Associate professor at the CNRD. 2. Master’s Degree in Social Anthropology from University of São Carlos - UFSCar. CNRD associated contributor through USP.

First published in December 2012 by the Center of Natural Resources and Management (CNRD)

© Center of Natural Resources and Management (CNRD)

Center of Natural Resources and Management

Cologne University of Applied Sciences – CUAS

Betzdorfer Straße 2

50679 Cologne, Germany

E-mail: cnrd-admin@itt.fh-koeln.de

Web: http://www.cnrd.info

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Introduction Water resources are essential to sustain life on the planet.

The sustainable management of these resources is to ensure its access to the entire population. On several Caribbean and Latin AmericanLatin-American countries the watershed has been set as unit of decentralized joint management of these resources. The concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) includes the integration of both superficial and underground water and has been widespread by professional training, technological and economic development, awareness, and institutional and legal amendments.

Identifying society’s perception concerning the integrated water resources management became the initial step to understand how the society participates in the management process. This “bBrief” aims to present the information to which the public has access, explaining the perception of society about integrated water resources management through the print media, more specifically by analyzing the digital editions available to digital media readers of the “Folha de São Paulo” (FSP), a Bbrazilian newspaper of wide national circulation.

The Folha de São Paulo has existed since 1921. In 2011 the number of Bbrazilians who accompany(3) the FSP newspaper with any regularity totalized 6 million people(4 ). Another 9 million people(5) pointed Folha.com on a list of sites that they accessed. The readers of Folha de São Paulo newspaper in the paper or on digital versions are at the top of the Brazilian social pyramid. In the case of FSP printed, 41% belong to the class A, against 3% in the general population. Three-quarters had graduation and 24% were alsoeven post-graduates; in the country there were are 13% and 2% respectively. Among digital media readers, the slice with graduates is even greater. The digital readers also have a higher income and the income and social status.

Method This study analyzed the 365 editions of the Folha de São Paulo,

published throughout the year 2011. Brazil had a year marked by an abundance of rains, mainly in January, the beginning of construction of the Belo Monte Dam, in the Amazon region, and the discussion for the implementation of a new Brazilian Forestry Code.

The research analyzed the digital copies, available for subscribers of the FSP published from January to December 2011. All the news related to IWRM were selected whether through text, images or other components, such as cartoons, advertisements and/or metaphors published. The following results involved a reflection of how is the social perception is on integrated water resources management through the print media, besides to provide the basis for further studies on the subject as a whole.

Perception and social participation in the integrated water re-sources management

Graph 01 – Monuthly quantity of news related to integrated water resources management (IWRM) found in the Folha de São Paulo in the period January to

December 2011.

Perception and social participation in the integrated water resources management

Image 01 - Folha de São Paulo, November 6, 2011. The Tiete River in São Paulo capital, appears on the first page of the newspaper has highlighted to be polluted.

3. The Research Institute DataFolha since 80’s has monitored the profile of readers of the newspaper Folha de São Paulo. The data described in this “bBrief” belong to research DataFolha 2011.

4. Currently Brazil has 190,732,694 people, according to the last survey in 2010 of IBGE - Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics.

5. Folha.com is the website of the “Grupo Folha de São Paulo” that included the FSP newspaper.

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The concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) does not appear exactly with this name in the newspaper Folha de São Paulo. The news showed items related to IWRM. Thus, the topics in the news, related to integrated water resources management, reflect factors such as: environment, (627 news); weather (365 news); beaches, oceans and seas ( 273 news); rainfall (240 news); leisure (182 news); energy (176 news); combustible (157 news); sports (147 news); waste (54 news), sanitation (24 news), fashion (2 news), mythology (2 news ) and religion (1 news).

Results Among the 365 editions of the Folha de São Paulo, a total of

3,804 publications(6) related to water and, consequently, the IWRM were found. As we know, the concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) includes the integration of surface and groundwater, and planning aspects of water use, as well as factors involved in the use and protection of water resources to promote the best local management by state and national public policies.

Advertisements related to the theme of water totalized 1,125 occurrences, inviting readers to places where they can be in touch with water in a natural environment and also in artificially constructed environment. This is more than half of the number of news, that includes 2,122 occurrences, excluding the images, metaphors, cartoons and comics. A contrast between news reported and advertisements that refer to IWRM is observed. This point becomes even more relevant, since the advertisements referred to leisure, entertainment and the rest are more frequentlyin greater number than the news linked to politics and economics as well as natural disasters and effects of the pollution of natural resources. It is worth to observe that news such as these are greater in number than news of a preventive nature, for example, on the preservation and proper use of these same natural resources.

Image 02 - Folha de São Paulo, February 18, 2011. News about the beginning of construction of the Belo Monte Dam, in the Amazon region

Graph 02 – Topics in the news related to integrated water resources management found in Folha de São Paulo in 2011

Image 03 - Folha de São Paulo, December 15, 2011. Advertising with the image of the natural landscape and water

6. The newspaper Folha de São Paulo has been consulted about the quantity of news published per day on each copy. The FSP Journal reported that is not possible to obtain this information.

CNRD Policy Paper No. 2, 12/2012

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In addition, the word “water” appeared in 29 news and there were 282 printed images depicting water – except images from advertisements. Among the news, there were also expressions, in Portuguese language, metaphorically speaking about water (a total of 22 news). Comics and cartoons amounted to a total of 96 publications, depicting various situations in which elements related to water were highlighted with humor.

The society’s perception concerning water issues in the Folha de São Paulo 2011 reveals dichotomous poles related to water resources. The integrated water resources management is the focus of news especially when natural disasters occur, and in situations where, for some reason, public policies appear to be ineffective. The news departing mainly from the point of view of the problems related to water resources, often appearing in the form of the complaint. On the other hand, advertisements allow you to see when the water favors and if is this related to entertainment and leisure, which is characterized as the opposite pole of the news. The result of this study therefore concludes that the evidences related to IWRM are perceived, in editions of the FSP, through a dichotomy. This dichotomy can affect the social perception when the two poles are completely dissociated by the readers.

The social perception and social participation related to the water resources must be informed, critically and consciously. Printed media is part of the social perception and is responsible for makinge the reader pay attention to different problems and solutions that occur daily. In this way, informing and denouncing are part of the social role of the media and the problems related to water resources appear in this context. The news and the advertisements related to IWRM, apparently or not, are linked to environmental conservation and the use of these resources. The integrated management of water resources explainsicit an association between the planning of water use and protection of water resources to promote the best local management by state and national public policies. In order tTo enjoy the contact with the environment, it is necessary to preserve it, satisfying present needs without compromising the ability of the supply of these in the planet and in the future generations.

Perception and social participation in the integrated water resources management

Image 04- Folha de São Paulo, June 19, 2011. News about Guarani Aquifer.

CNRD Policy Paper are available online:www.cnrd.infoImprint:The Center for Natural Resources and Development (CNRD) is an international university network funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Presently it consists of 11 universitites in 10 countries:

Universidade Federal of Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile

Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Cologne University of Applied Sciencs, Germany (coordinating university)

University Gadjah Mada, Jogyakarta, Indonesia

University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

University of Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique

Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

Vietnam Acadamy for Water Resources, Hanoi, Vietnam

CNRD Policy Paper No. 2

Coordinator and Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Edson Wendland

Responsible Researcher: Tatiana Massaro

Title: Perception and social participation in the integrated water resources management

Editor: Center of Natural Resources and Management (CNRD)

Revision and Proofreading: Dr. Udo Nehren, Anke Rappert

Layout: Christian Ivanis & Alicia Bustillos

© Center of Natural Resources and Management (CNRD)

Center of Natural Resources and Management

Cologne University of Applied Sciences – CUAS

Betzdorfer Straße 2

50679 Cologne, Germany

E-mail: cnrd-admin@itt.fh-koeln.de

Web: http://www.cnrd.info