Damming as a strategy for territorial appropriation and water control

Abstract

Over the last few decades, the São Marcos river basin has stood out in terms of productivity from irrigated agriculture. A striking feature is the large number of private dams for water security purposes, in order to guarantee the maintenance of agricultural commodities through the use of center pivots. In functional terms, the dams constitute the structural rationality of the territory, at the same time as they promote water appropriation and the control of its flow, as well as the expansion of territorial power. At the same time, the water reservoir factor is the cause of water conflicts between members of the same productive class: irrigators. In order to analyze this context, the methodology used was a review of the literature and documents, as well as an analysis of data collected in the field. As a result, the study highlights the strategic functionality of private dams and the territorial practices that involve the domination of water by one territory over another.

Keywords: Upper São Marcos River. Dams. Territory. Agribusiness.