Survival strategies of human riverine populations in southern Brazil floodplain systems

Abstract

Wetlands provide important resources to riverine populations. However, almost half of the world’s wetlands disappeared in the last century. The diminishment of these ecosystems compromises the sustainability of many regions of the planet, including South America. This study aims to identify survival strategies of riverine populations to withstand the hydrological disturbances during a hydrological cycle in a southern Brazil wetland. The study populations maintain the stability of their social structures by producing an identification process through representations of floods and droughts. This knowledge is of relevance and can establish useful principles that can be used to ensure local sustainability of resources. The dependence of riverine populations on the natural resources, their management strategies, and sometimes their isolation, make these traditional populations important elements in conserving these natural systems. These aspects should be taken into account by decisionmakers, and should be included in development-oriented policies adopted for the region.

Key words: riverine populations, survival strategies, wetland, flood, stability.