Estudo socioambiental das condições sanitárias da comunidade da Prainha em Aracaju-SE

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the basic sanitation conditions in the Prainha community, located in the northern zone of Aracaju, Sergipe, through the lens of environmental justice and the application of geotechnologies for territorial analysis. The research is based on the observation that, despite being situated in an urbanized area, Prainha faces a historical neglect by public authorities in providing essential services such as water supply, sewage collection and treatment, solid waste management, and urban drainage. This situation reveals an ongoing process of deterritorialization, degradation of local ecosystems, and disruption of traditional ways of life, reflecting structural patterns of exclusion and social invisibility. The methodology adopted includes document analysis, on-site observation, and the use of geoprocessing technologies to map the environmental and socioeconomic conditions of the community. The data indicate that, despite the high sanitation coverage rates reported for Aracaju, the reality in Prainha starkly contrasts with these official figures, exposing a significant disconnect between the reported statistics and the lived experiences of traditional populations. The lack of adequate sanitation not only compromises public health but also exacerbates sociospatial inequalities and environmental conflicts, as the degradation of local water resources has intensified with the industrialization of the surrounding neighborhood, directly impacting the quality of life for Prainha's residents. The findings suggest that achieving universal access to basic sanitation, as envisioned by the National Basic Sanitation Policy (Laws Nº. 11,445/2007 and Nº. 14,026/2020), remains a distant goal for communities like Prainha, which continue to be marginalized and disproportionately exposed to socio-environmental risks. It is concluded that overcoming this scenario requires not only the expansion of physical infrastructure but also the strengthening of public policies that recognize the territorial and cultural specificities of these populations, promoting socio-environmental justice as a guiding principle for sustainable urban planning.