Public policies for solid waste management and the occupation of areas near water in Manaus and Recife

Abstract

This article presents research experiences that examine water and solid waste in two Brazilian capitals: Manaus (AM) and Recife (PE). Contrasts, differences, and intersections between public policies on waste management, sanitation and housing are the points that sew this text together, as well as socio-environmental issues emerging in the ways of life related to water, whether along rivers and streams, tidal areas, or oceans. With converging scenarios - including the dumping of waste in water, and the lack of rights to decent housing - the people who live on the banks of watercourses and flooded areas are held responsible for dumping the waste that overflows onto streets, invading their homes. However, these dwellings receive floods of garbage from all over the city, invading their territories. A multi-sited look at these populations, based on street ethnography, visual registers, and comparative studies, combines with studies that produced in our research network on the anthropology of waste in Latin America and Europe.