The dismantling of Brazilian water policies in the south American context: privatizations, political ecology and living Mbya Guarani memories

Abstract

The increase in the scale and intensity of the overexploitation of territories and water resources are intertwined as basis for capital accumulation. After the approval of the new basic sanitation law in Brazil (Law No. 14.026/2020) – which leaves the water management in the hands of the private sector and further weakens indigenous rights - water also became valued on Wall-street stock exchange, promoting its speculation, concentration, and capitalization. It is in this scenario that - in Brazil as well as in South America - the abundance, the quality, and the rights to this common good are becoming more and more disputed by the developmentalist paradigm. These scenarios contribute to the dismantling of water and socio-environmental policies, with violent repercussions on indigenous peoples and their territories. But what does water scarcity and loss of access and rights to water mean for indigenous peoples? Is there space, in modern Western sciences, for the valuable contributions that Amerindian perspectives have promoted in the field of knowledge? Rethinking the relationship between development, politics, ecology, and nature is urgent. Our objective is to analyze the current dismantling of Brazilian water policies in the South American context, seeking to understand the influence of water privatization on indigenous lives, especially Mbya-Guarani. It will be also discussed how the contribution of Amerindian worldviews can help to build a new paradigm to the conservation of nature, especially of the water resources. Methodologically, this article promotes, through participant observation and action-research, the construction of dialogical relationships between researchers and one of the political-spiritual leaders Mbya-Guarani. Recognizing that native peoples are essential for the conservation of nature, we consider that with their territorial rights ensured, guaranteeing the reproduction of their livelihoods, the maintenance of the vital cycles of the planet (such as the water cycle) will be also guaranteed.