Colapso Urbano? Narrativas de moradores do Pinheiro sobre a subsidência do solo em Maceió-AL

Abstract

The city of Maceió, capital of the state of Alagoas, is experiencing an unprecedented urban catastrophe: a process of subsidence of the soil, resulting from the extraction of rock salt carried out by the petrochemical company Braskem, for more than 40 years in the city. The situation led to the removal of more than 57,000 residents from at least 4 neighborhoods in the city: Bebedouro, Bom Parto, Mutange, and Pinheiro, who had to vacate more than 14,000 properties in a short period and without prior compensation. This work aims to recognize the social and urban implications of this subsidence process, based on the narratives of residents of the Pinheiro neighborhood. To this end, iconographic and documentary surveys, experiences, and observations made in the area are used, using the method of participant observation, given the author's direct relationship and conviviality, as a resident of the affected region. Interviews were carried out with the affected residents, seeking to capture and share the memories and experiences of each one of them. The theoretical development of the work is based on concepts of risk, vulnerability, risk management and territory, also involving discussions about deterritorialization and multi-territoriality. To understand the impacts of soil subsidence, we discuss the arrival of the mining company in the city, the daily life and the importance of the affected neighborhoods for the city, and the main events involving the discovery of the process of subsidence of the soil and the removal of residents of the risk area. Through the narratives collected through the interviews, the value of memory and the lack of participation of the population in decisions related to the eviction process is emphasized. The process of destructuring a significant part of the city results in an urban impact with consequences in terms of mobility and the real estate sector and the loss of important urban equipment, among other occurrences, which lead to the ongoing urban collapse. A collective force of social and urban professionals, together with the population, is necessary to debate the subject and seek restructuring so that the city can welcome these thousands of environmental refugees, respecting the collective memory of this community.