Coari: Petroleum and Sustainability – an Amazonian Example

Abstract

The economic exploitation of hydrocarbons at the Petroliferous Province of Urucu, located at 280 kilometersfrom the center of Coari/AM municipality, occurs inside in one of the planet’s most environmentallysensitive areas, the Amazon forest. The municipality of Coari/AM, due to economic exploration in itsterritory, is experimenting significative transformations in the use of its soil. The objective of this researchwas to diagnose, from the point of view of sustainable development, the institutional and political contextof how this economic exploration is happening, starting in 1987 up to today. Furthermore, it also hasthe objective of analyzing the main transformations in the use of the soil. The methodology, regardingthe spatial variation of the soil use, employed techniques of geoprocessing and of processing of digitalimages taken from orbital remote sensors, encompassing a 17-year period of imaging in the study area.The study also analyzed social, economic and political indicators, as well as data obtained during the fieldtrips and interviews with the main stakeholders. The methodology developed prospective, tendentialinertialand normatives scenarios, related to the exploitation of hydrocarbons. The results obtained withthe application of the proposed methodology led to the conclusion that there is significant environmentaldamage, resulting from the activities of hydrocarbons exploitation as well as the human expansion in theurban areas of the municipality. Moreover, the hydrocarbons exploitation almost doubled the populationof the municipality in 16-year period, taking a severe toll in the municipality infra-structure and thequality of local life. Moreover, this expansion process still continues. The stakeholders, endowed withdecision power, have not created mechanisms to guarantee intergeneration justice to the population ofCoari, its major social actor, using the criterion of proximity of the undertaking. The significant economicresources that come from the government participation financial resources in the hydrocarbons exploitationhave not been able to avoid the low indices in the local quality of life and the few self sustainablealternatives. The research suggests actions and inductive policies, which may contribute to change thecurrent trends of unsustainable growth of Coari, making it independent of the foreseeable depletion of its hydrocarbons reserves.