This work was born from the principle of discussing the relation between society and nature as the main analysis category, having the environmental perception as the basis for this discussion. For this, topics from two study fields were combined, namely geography and anthropology. Once the studied area is a semiarid one, some political and physical aspects were raised since it is in this context that man finds power and mechanisms to live in such an area. In this view, it was analyzed the environmental perception from Capoeirão community dwellers. In the methodological procedures, interviews were carried out and a semi-structured questionnaire was applied addressing various aspects regarding perceptions about water resources and the environment. Such observations make clear the importance and impact of the Araras reservoir for many families dependent on it, not only in the economical sphere but also in the historical and cultural ones, as well as the viability of the new social technologies (cisterns) that deliver a better life quality despite of some setback still unsolved. Therefore, the research can serve as a reflection in governmental program execution, that is, the practicability of projects in the Capoeirão community. In addition to it, it can become a bibliographical reference for future researches concerning socio-environmental topics and life in semiarid areas.