A Amazônia ribeirinha e as políticas de desenvolvimento regional: o Baixo Tocantins no contexto da concepção e gestão do Plano Popular de Desenvolvimento Sustentável da Região à Jusante da UHE Tucurui (PPDJUA)

Abstract

The survey consists to establish a relation between regional development and specific characteristics of the region of the lower Tocantins, seeing the participatory planning process developed in that region by the Popular Plan of Sustainable Development of the downstream region of Hydroeletric Plant Tucuruí - PPDJUS. In the context of the mentioned plan, the survey analyses the regional development and management, considering the limits and possibilities of popular participation, the articulation between municipal scales and their consequences on regional scale, and finally, the conception of development proposed in the plan, according to regional particularities. As a methodology to develop this work was used survey and literature review; research and document analysis(PPDJUS, agreements and projects); and semistructured interviews with members of social and union movements, members of the government, members of research institutions and representatives of ELETRONORTE. Became evident that the management model developed in management councils (municipal and regional), created for the definition of investment, represents an advance in face of negotiation process of different social subjects involved(social and union movements, enterprise and government), according to the idea of participatory planning. However, the limits of participation are still evident owing to the restricted participation of a few leaders, institutionalization of social movements and the continuous strong presence of conservative political culture, based on traditional relations. In spite of these fragilities, this development proposal, which considers the environmental variable and proposing projects by the base demands, presents major conditions to fit the regional particularities, as opposed to most recent federal government policies which articulate the region, more focused to the demands of economic development of the international market.