Análise dos impactos sociais, econômicos e ambientais da construção do porto de Itaguaí-RJ: um olhar sobre o antes e depois das atividades portuárias

Abstract

The operation of ports can do important social, economic and environmental impacts in the region of its implementation. The present study aimed to carry out analysis of social, economic and environmental impacts from the construction of the Port of Itaguaí-RJ. The methodology was to analyze of demographic, economic and environmental data collected in the IBGE and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) databases, as well information from academic research and journalistic sources, in a period from 1920 to 2010.Tables were used to present data over the decades, highlighting changes in population and economic dynamics. Satellite images were used to illustrate the impacts of the construction of the Port of Itaguaí on the landscape and the environment over time. In a constructive analysis, we sought to determine the factors: demographic density and the population's per capita income as systemic elements of the economic framework of the municipality of Itaguaí. We analyzed the variation in the absolute population of the municipality, considering natural or vegetative growth combined with the migratory balance in the period before and after the inauguration of the Port. The results obtained showed that the construction of the Port of Itaguaí brought beneficial impacts to the region, such as increased employment and socioeconomic development, improvements in quality of life, infrastructure, education and health for the city's population. However, the creation of the port also raised environmental issues, such as air, water and soil contamination, deforestation and the advance on biomes, a factor that affected the diversity of species, the health of people in the region and the change in the landscape.